{"id":86584,"date":"2024-10-31T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T23:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/31\/200pm-water-cooler-10-31-2024-naked-capitalism\/"},"modified":"2024-10-31T23:59:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T23:59:00","slug":"200pm-water-cooler-10-31-2024-naked-capitalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/31\/200pm-water-cooler-10-31-2024-naked-capitalism\/","title":{"rendered":"2:00PM Water Cooler 10\/31\/2024 | naked capitalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div wp_automatic_readability=\"487.45901518683\">\n<p><em><strong>By Lambert Strether of Corrente.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/157732671\/embed\" height=\"300\" width=\"640\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Common Nightingale, Les Demoiselles Coiff\u00e9es de B\u00e9doin, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur, France. Duet!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#trump\">Trump garbage truck stunt<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section3\">Section Three<\/a> has risen from the grave.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing stock remains stable<\/a>, pensions are the sticking point.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The Constitutional Order (Insurrection)<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"22.691714053615\">\n<p><a name=\"section3\"\/>\u201cSweeping Section Three under the Rug: A Comment on Trump v. Anderson\u201d (forthcoming) [William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen, <a href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4952397\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Harvard Law Review<\/a>]. A restatement (?) of \u201cThe Sweep and Force of Section Three; lots of coverage at NC; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?client=opera&amp;q=%22The+Sweep+and+Force+of+Section+Three%22+site:www.nakedcapitalism.com&amp;sourceid=opera&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8\">see here<\/a>). From the Abstract: \u201d It did not reject the Colorado Supreme Court\u2019s conclusion that Trump is disqualified from future office, under the standards of Section Three. It did not hold that the events culminating in the January 6 attack on the capitol fell short of the constitutional standard for an \u201cinsurrection.\u201d It did not reject the Colorado Supreme Court\u2019s conclusion that Trump had \u201cengaged in\u201d that insurrection. It did not question the Colorado courts\u2019 factual findings concerning Trump\u2019s conduct and intent. And\u2013perhaps contrary to initial appearances, and contrary to the critique of the justices concurring in the judgment only\u2013the Court did not hold that Section Three is legally inoperative without enforcement legislation by Congress. Nothing in the case contradicts the conclusions we reached in our prior scholarship, The Sweep and Force of Section Three, on any of these points.  If Donald Trump was constitutionally ineligible to the presidency on March 3, 2024, the day before the Court\u2019s decision, he remained constitutionally ineligible on March 5, the day after its decision. And he remains ineligible today. . Sweeping Section Three under the rug thus may merely have postponed the day of ultimate constitutional reckoning.\u201d \u201cA variety\u201d? Let me skim <a href=\"https:\/\/download.ssrn.com\/2024\/9\/10\/4952397.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline&amp;X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEBoaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIQCSARlzVVtL3%2BoLJ78nal0bWqMoLJPeSEkyRb8PEwh4SgIgYswgBn7c85R%2FhLNFzbLXvYmVfFo8rf1o94FIy6QzUKMqxgUIkv%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARAEGgwzMDg0NzUzMDEyNTciDMc5SvaIgy26shEMHSqaBQJNdYnb6769Hi5Pxy%2FrkEqQLMZvYiMrQpENaqhClmWdBy0pnTrNtiUVreHRKgjSdtE%2BRIzwU0ptsBCMgrbP5D%2BSB%2FjADTfSQs%2BirXbydFkD885wa3mBux2dB5kpPf3rAa6W%2FCd%2BKV4%2BOyj%2B53NYBpa9IrfIjc7vkvvAT%2B%2Bczw3S3ZoF%2FomwT1JS%2FgR8Bb2hqjz1RVfTpkd09%2BVjH58%2FnJ3ISijEYHfwRQyocxoMxxBrhWFl0AKrMxSIGvZxr7WmfnshGaSpTAqm9T3q3%2F7fhZgmP7R%2F1DlcYCqQcsRHCDl7bOAVeq%2F4eiL9MrjtM6RmfIVs6whhlh%2BsSlOWVsQQLygMIdMb4AX2EBDdaxcPtnyTlmgMArG8100Y2BSBNiVSGDEh%2Bz6qVjm2mT5MIHkfZI5ByDC1K87OIgQDMlBneuwQ7%2FEHIbJgkuR70H1Op8pTjTGbwyCIj3uFNgI%2FP29OW%2BOmVlEzOJZZPT43Rn%2FLjhvSkjtS9F4dWeK8gNkeC%2FktXEyNTxHM41sll2dlbgS7bA5FFMc5OZBuDqL2oRQk9jTGsdy%2Fcw5vblOjJmmSDgTZO77hRkkPxENkc7HcwYC1BEMfB6SG4sNO%2Fjm5tDNvuUTp8H7Rc7cCPvnBg%2FQlJ%2FNI15165aEStQN9GbOoOB1nf8QDKtSp6SnMuaMryYwawZbjhE6puZtssBvMzmX7EAga%2FFeDUxv6vcq3%2BczeXMowZMGWZb%2B17%2BHNfjEH0z0p9qcnwyzGMsP4CW3kCIYgfepIc%2FwKsMHkUbPDCTwYZqg2rH%2Foo2Gsh%2Bpd9oqV6gs5Jc67qrhcyfrzCgpED1q8trT3IGK8CQRVchUgmO%2FqvKdtjOVokOGKCSy3c4Kwj4xwzzwOR2OCkthNJZIMwTCf8465BjqxAaMeldel%2F05zLd3gC4ZmdEdHyU%2FnFYvw3ZBtnZjGCbZEaanzCFN77JsQZ5uxC2crPE8OUCmcMXx%2F7LPdE%2FgXpotYmEYGgdZMfH9%2F%2FwgxuZZ8MmOD34p5PaPI5e2DDqY9zO8%2BSm9NQaUENG9hrCPEMG8QqWeKVT3QVt31wXO%2FCwm3rr46D6IEJSH%2Fm5oiAcRz9lo%2BXLx%2BXY85%2FknjuHHmcWC1LCMyhaiMu%2ButviBIQScYCA%3D%3D&amp;X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&amp;X-Amz-Date=20241031T172350Z&amp;X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&amp;X-Amz-Expires=300&amp;X-Amz-Credential=ASIAUPUUPRWESYSNJMSQ%2F20241031%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&amp;X-Amz-Signature=70b801c625391d148a8ff6c50df89a263f022755d5cdea8da3fab3ab9a0c558d&amp;abstractId=4952397\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the PDF<\/a>\u2026 Well, here\u2019s one (page 41). \u201c[W]hat about an action for damages or a criminal prosecution in state court against an unconstitutional pretender to federal office?\u201d \u2022 By Alvin Bragg, perhaps? Perhaps a lawyer in the readership can give this a more thorough and competent reading than I can (though holy Lord, what\u2019s all this speculation about the internal workings of the court doing in the body of a law review article?) To me, however, this looks like laying the groundwork for lawfare in the Transition Period. And just in time, too!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"26.798586572438\">\n<p>Lambert here: I don\u2019t expect either party to make nice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 76 dangerous days between the election and the inauguration\u201d [Brian Michael Jenkins, <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/national-security\/4961474-election-violence-risk-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. Jenkins is a senior adviser to the president of RAND. \u201cSince 2020, there has been a surge in <a href=\"https:\/\/ctc.westpoint.edu\/rising-threats-to-public-officials-a-review-of-10-years-of-federal-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">violent threats against public officials<\/a> at all levels, violent protests by far-left and far-right extremists, a nationwide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-23-104720#:~:text=From%20fiscal%20years%202013%20through,extremists%20committing%20the%20most%20violent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">rise in domestic terrorist incidents<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/coronavirus-live-updates\/2020\/05\/01\/849017021\/protestors-swarm-michigan-capitol-amid-showdown-over-governors-emergency-powers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">armed occupation of a state capitol<\/a>, a mob assault on the nation\u2019s Capitol, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/ag\/news\/press-releases\/2023\/12\/07\/final-sentences-ordered-in-whitmer-kidnap-plot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a plot to kidnap a governor<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/09\/30\/politics\/ryan-wesley-routh-trump-assassination-attempt-plea\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">two attempted assassinations<\/a> of former President Trump, intelligence indicating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/09\/25\/nx-s1-5126621\/what-we-know-about-irans-alleged-threats-to-assassinate-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">an Iranian plot to assassinate the former president<\/a> and a plot by an Islamic State-inspired individual to carry out<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/isis-k-foiled-election-day-terrorism-plot-us-officials-say-rcna175566\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> a mass shooting on Election Day<\/a>.\u201d The plot to kidnap Whitmer was <a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2024\/02\/gretchen-whitmer-kidnapping-plot-michigan-fbi.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">spook-infested<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/3-men-found-not-guilty-of-supporting-plot-to-kidnap-michigan-gov-whitmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">five of the fourteen defendants were cleared<\/a>. I <em>assume<\/em> that it should go in the \u201cWhy is this different from all the others?\u201d bucket. Nevertheless, its certainly odd that the RAND dude included it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarris says she will be \u2018sadly ready\u2019 if Trump prematurely claims victory Tuesday\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/4962986-harris-ready-trump-prematurely-claims-victory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cHarris has previously said there are teams in place in the event that Trump challenges the result. Trump has only committed to accepting the election results if he deems them \u2018free and fair.\u2019 ABC interviewed Harris six days before Election Day while she was on a three-state swing through North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. While polls have tightened, and some have shifted toward Trump in recent days, Bruce asked Harris if she feels she needs Republicans to vote for her to win. \u2018Here\u2019s how I think about it. I really want to bring our country together. We\u2019ve had about a decade of this Trump era that has been all about \u2026 dividing people and having Americans point fingers at each other, and I think people are exhausted,\u2019 Harris said.\u201d \u2022 Right, which is why Marc Elias is now on the payroll (not that Trump doesn\u2019t have form).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"228.04464564471\">\n<p>Countdown!<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/free.timeanddate.com\/countdown\/i8ubjj5e\/n179\/cf100\/cm0\/cu1\/ct0\/cs1\/ca0\/cr0\/ss0\/cac000\/cpc000\/pcfff\/tcfff\/fs100\/szw320\/szh135\/tatTime%20left%20to%20Election%20Day%2C%202024\/tac000\/tptTime%20since%20Event%20started%20in\/tpc000\/mac000\/mpc000\/iso2024-11-05T00:00:00\/bo2\/pd2\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"322\" height=\"137\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p> <a name=\"rcp\"\/>Friday\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RCP<\/a> Poll Averages:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/rcp_2024-10-25.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"638\" height=\"968\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-281040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/rcp_2024-10-25.png 638w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/rcp_2024-10-25-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/rcp_2024-10-25-624x947.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Tiny margins, but all red. If I were running the Kamala campaign, I\u2019d want to see some blue. Of course, we on the outside might as well be examining the entrails of birds when we try to predict what will happen to the subset of voters (undecided; irregular) in a subset of states (swing), and the irregulars, especially, who will determine the outcome of the election but might as well be quantum foam, but presumably the campaign professionals have better data, and have the situation as under control as it can be <sub>MR SUBLIMINAL Fooled ya. Kidding!<\/sub>.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"garbage\"\/>\u201cGarbage.\u201d The video at :40. Leaving it here:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"President Biden calls Trump supporters &quot;garbage&quot;\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F54hZP_rWiU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>Trump (R): \u201cDonald Trump climbs into garbage truck in stunt to call out Biden, Harris\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/10840720\/donald-trump-garbage-truck-joe-biden-wisconsin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Global News<\/a>]. \u201cSpeaking to press who had gathered at the photo op, Trump asked, \u2018How do you like my garbage truck?\u2019 adding that it was \u2018in honour of Kamala (Harris) and Joe Biden.\u2019 He proceeded to say the president \u2018should be ashamed of himself.&#8217;\u201d \u2022 I don\u2019t love Trump. But looking purely at the technical aspects, the man is very, very good at what he does (and seems to have regained the <em>\u00e9clat<\/em> he lost after the two assassination attempts). The best part: He\u2019s still wearing his tie! (And I love the way the Hi-Viz orange vest subtly denatures and inverts the \u201cOrange Man Bad\u201d trope.)<\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cBillionaire Trump Awkwardly Dresses Up as a Garbage Truck Driver\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/billionaire-trump-dresses-up-garbage-truck-driver-1235148279\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rolling Stone<\/a>]. \u2022 Oh come on:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.8\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.76\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It\u2019s certainly more effective than biting babies. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mrt4HoKmvr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/mrt4HoKmvr<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Real Liekitisn\u2019t (not Parody) (@liekitisnot) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/liekitisnot\/status\/1851849060413522325\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 31, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cHow Trump Kept Biden\u2019s \u2018Garbage\u2019 Gaffe From Getting Thrown Out\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/articles\/2024\/10\/31\/how_trump_kept_bidens_garbage_gaffe_from_getting_thrown_out__151871.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>]. \u2022 Puff piece saying it was all Trump\u2019s idea. But it might actually have been; I find it hard to imagine Susie Wiles coming up with it. Stunts are a big part of kayfabe, after all.<\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cBiden may have handed Trump a big assist with his \u2018garbage\u2019 gaffe\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/30\/politics\/biden-garbage-gaffe-analysis?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_msn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. It was a Kinsley Gaffe, at least in what remains of Biden\u2019s mind. More: \u201cNo one can say how this latest twist in a turbulent campaign will affect the final result. But in the vicious heat of the last week of the deadlocked presidential campaign, when even a few imprecise words can wreak significant political consequences, it may not matter what Biden really meant. Perception is everything. Just when Harris\u2019 team wanted to keep the attention on Trump\u2019s Madison Square Garden rally, which played into her contrast message on Tuesday night, the president handed Harris a political mess. She\u2019s now almost certain to be asked whether she also regards Trump\u2019s backers as \u2018garbage.\u2019 Her answer will only prolong the story. The former president is also likely to seize on the gaffe to argue that Democrats view working Americans in the heartland with contempt. A Trump fundraising email Tuesday evening read: \u2018FIRST Hillary called you a DEPLORABLE! THEN they called you a FASCIST! And moments ago Kamala\u2019s boss Biden called you GARBAGE!&#8217;\u201d \u2022 Where\u2019s the lie?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cJudge declines to block Elon Musk $1 million voter giveaway\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/musk-due-court-1-million-voter-giveaway-faces-courtroom-test-2024-10-31\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201d A Pennsylvania state judge said on Thursday he would not immediately move forward with a lawsuit that seeks to stop Elon Musk\u2019s $1 million voter giveaway ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. At a hearing in Pennsylvania, Judge Angelo Foglietta said he would place the lawsuit on hold while a federal court considers whether to take up the case. Musk\u2019s bid to move the case frees him to continue the giveaway, because the matter likely won\u2019t be resolved until after Tuesday\u2019s election. The billionaire entrepreneur, who is spending heavily to back Republican Donald Trump, had been ordered to attend the hearing but did not appear.\u201d \u2022 The Trump campaign has one loose cannon. It doesn\u2019t need two.<\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cTrump Doubles Down After Elon\u2019s Shocking \u2018Tank the Economy\u2019 Confession\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/187712\/elon-musk-trump-tank-economy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. \u201cIn an interview with Sean Hannity on Tuesday night, Trump lauded Musk as a \u2018very exceptional guy\u2019 and a \u2018great cost-cutter\u2019 when asked about a potential role for the billionaire CEO in his Cabinet. But even more unbelievably, the Republican candidate said with confidence that the American people wouldn\u2019t \u2018feel\u2019 the economic impacts of cutting trillions from the budget. \u2018He\u2019ll cut costs without anybody even knowing it\u2014nobody\u2019s going to notice\u2014nobody is going to feel it,\u2019 Trump told Hannity, confirming that Musk does indeed plan to slash $2 trillion from the government\u2019s budget.\u201d Twitter <em>does<\/em> still work, even if the Tesla paint booth never has. More: \u201cMusk has proposed heading a \u2018Department of Government Efficiency\u2019 under a Trump Cabinet\u2014and the former president has clearly taken him up on it. At Trump\u2019s hate-filled Madison Square Garden rally over the weekend, Musk announced that the target is $2 trillion in cuts.&#8217;\u201d \u2022 Musk has a world-class case of <a href=\"https:\/\/aeon.co\/essays\/why-main-character-syndrome-is-philosophically-dangerous\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Main Character Syndrome<\/a>. Trump already has Musk\u2019s money. If Trump becomes President, he\u2019ll heave Musk over the side whenever he wants, even if Musk can\u2019t entertain such a possibility.<\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cWorkers Say They Were Tricked and Threatened as Part of Elon Musk\u2019s Get-Out-the-Vote Effort\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-america-pac-blitz-canvassing-michigan-uhaul\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WIRED<\/a>]. \u201c\u2018I was in shock and disbelief,\u2019 says a paid door knocker flown to Michigan to help turn out the vote for former president Donald Trump on behalf of Elon Musk\u2019s America PAC. In Michigan, canvassers and paid door knockers for the former president, contracted by a firm associated with America PAC, have been subjected to poor working conditions: A number of them have been driven around in the back of a seatless U-Haul van, according to video obtained by WIRED, and threatened that their lodging at a local motel wouldn\u2019t be paid for if they didn\u2019t meet canvassing quotas. One door knocker alleges that they didn\u2019t even know they were signing up for anything having to do with Musk or Trump. A representative for Musk and America PAC did not return a request for comment. The contract these door knockers signed with Blitz Canvassing, which is a subcontractor of Musk\u2019s America PAC, says they are \u2018expected to maintain a 17-22% engagement rate during the campaign,\u2019 which is a high target relative to the number of people who typically open their door for a stranger. A group of out-of-state America PAC canvassers were told during a recent team meeting that if they didn\u2019t hit their targets, which the door knocker says were more than 1,000 a week on total doors knocked, the organization would stop paying for their motel rooms.\u201d \u2022 Musk must be running this operation like Tesla, not SpaceX (from the results, I assume SpaceX isn\u2019t a cesspit of bad labor practices). In would guess this story is too late to affect the campaign, but at what point does Musk, as political deadweight, outweigh the big bucks? My guess is soon, since Trump is already having to clean up after him (see above). <\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): Kamala agrees:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.4044943820225\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4943820224719\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">She will be fired soon <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nMtL8MUQ75\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/nMtL8MUQ75<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1851985438933668337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 31, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But shut up, anyhow. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/business\/lina-khan-ends-ftc-term-whats-next-for-her\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Seattle Times<\/a>: \u201cOn Wednesday, the youngest-ever chair of the Federal Trade Commission reached the end of her three-year term, during which she helped overhaul the government\u2019s approach to antitrust enforcement and brought a slew of lawsuits against major corporations. Khan, 35, can remain in her seat indefinitely, unless she is replaced. There are factions rooting loudly for each of those outcomes.\u201d \u2022 A good interview with Khan.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D): Who did this:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.879746835443\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.2278481012658\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Vice President Harris: Unlike Donald Trump, I don&#8217;t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. I&#8217;ll give them a seat at the table <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KC6ms7nPig\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/KC6ms7nPig<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KamalaHQ\/status\/1851676163715858612\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 30, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Kamala, Kamala, Kamala. They\u2019re <em>Nazis<\/em>. You don\u2019t give them \u201ca seat at the table\u201d; look what happened to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalww2museum.org\/war\/articles\/how-did-adolf-hitler-happen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Von Papen and Hindenberg<\/a>. Our Democracy is at stake! Or if they\u2019re not Nazis, and not attacking Our Democracy, then what is your campaign about? <\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D): \u201cBiden\u2019s Gaffes Complicate Harris\u2019s Final Stretch, Worrying Democratic Insiders\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/10\/30\/us\/politics\/biden-comments-harris-campaign.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cSpeaking with reporters before boarding Air Force Two outside Washington, she noted that Mr. Biden had \u2018clarified his comments.\u2019 But she added: \u2018Let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.\u201d \u2022 So Trump is a fascist, but it\u2019s OK to vote for him? <\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D): \u201cBiden Sits Uncomfortably on the Campaign\u2019s Sidelines\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/yKzsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. The deck: \u201cTurning toward building his legacy, the 81-year-old will focus on his presidential library.\u201d When he\u2019s not biting babies. More: \u201cBiden\u2019s team has encountered some resistance raising the roughly $200 million to $300 million Biden\u2019s allies think will be required for it based on past presidential libraries, according to people familiar with the discussions. Part of the problem is that Biden hasn\u2019t been a strong fundraiser. According to one of the people familiar with the efforts, he has eschewed using some of the gimmicks other presidents have used to woo donors, such as inviting mega donors to stay overnight at the White House. Some donors and their advisers say they haven\u2019t been approached but wouldn\u2019t make a decision until election results are clear; some still feel confusion and anger around Biden\u2019s re-election campaign and ultimate exit from the race.\u201d \u2022 Maybe the library could have<a href=\"https:\/\/allthatsinteresting.com\/defenestration-of-prague\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> a second-story window with a wagon filled with dung directly under it<\/a>. They could do re-enactments.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D): \u201cOpinion George W. Bush is running out of time\u201d [Matt Bai, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/2FDwx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. This is actually not as horrid as I expected it to be. \u201cNo, I think Bush owes it to the country to condemn Trumpism in this moment because, of all our former leaders, he did the most to create it\u2026 From [Obama\u2019s victory after Bush] came a simple ethos in Republican politics: <em>Burn it all down<\/em>. Trump didn\u2019t spring from nowhere. He was, and is, a vehicle of fury and lost faith. If compassion doesn\u2019t work, then maybe cruelty will. If governing in a democracy means inventing wars and bailing out banks at the expense of soldiers and laid-off workers, then maybe the democratic system itself needs to be demolished \u2014 and all its high-mindedness exposed as hypocrisy. It was Bush who opened the door to this rage-filled room full of voices screaming, \u2018America First!\u2019 Trump, an instinctive entertainer, simply walked through it.\u201d \u2022 We often forget that in practice the Republicans are more democratic than Democrats. The Republican base hated their party leaders and got rid of them. Trump is the result. Not so the Democrats, who pivoted from Biden to Kamala, seemingly in hours, like the good authoritarian followers they are.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>From Carla, \u201cNot so much a plant as a Halloween lament. Sign of the times.\u201d A yard sign of the times, to my technical eye. Have readers spotted similar examples?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lament.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"810\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-281436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lament.jpeg 810w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lament-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lament-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lament-624x832.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>(Cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Lamentations%203%3A55-66&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Lamentations 3:55-66<\/a>, an imprecatory prayer.)<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>GA: \u201cWhat do early votes, polls show about presidential race in Georgia, a key swing state?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/politics-government\/election\/article294792454.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">News and Observer<\/a>]. \u201cAs of Oct. 29, about 3.2 million early votes have been cast in the state, \u2018shattering previous early voting performance,\u2019 according to Georgia\u2019s secretary of state. By comparison, at the same stage in 2020, 2.1 million early votes had been cast\u2026. Women, so far, have outpaced men in voting by a margin of nearly 12 points \u2014 55.5% to 43.8%, according to the University of Florida\u2019s Election Lab\u2026. This trend has also been observed in other swing states, including Michigan and North Carolina\u2026 Hatcher called the early voting data \u2018difficult to read,\u2019 and Richey said it \u2018can offer limited predictive value on the eventual outcome.\u2019 In sum, Richey said, \u2018the close polling margins and demographic composition of early voters suggest that no candidate has a clear edge at this stage. Instead, it seems likely that final outcomes may hinge on Election Day turnout and any last-minute shifts in undecided voters.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ME: \u201cTrump wins student mock election in Maine\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2024\/10\/30\/trump-wins-student-mock-election-in-maine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Portland Press Herald<\/a>]. \u201cTrump won 52% of the vote, beating Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 2,400 votes, according to results posted online by the secretary of state\u2019s office.\u201d And the deck: \u201cMaine students have predicted the winner of every presidential election since 2008, but they missed the mark in the 2020 U.S. Senate race by voting against Republican incumbent Susan Collins.\u201d \u2022 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020\u2026. Not that long actually. Even if it does seem like forever.<\/p>\n<p>NC: \u201cBlack turnout is lagging in North Carolina, a warning sign for Harris\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/10\/30\/black-turnout-is-lagging-in-north-carolina-a-warning-sign-for-harris-00186387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cEarly vote numbers in North Carolina show the electorate skewing older and whiter, compared to the state\u2019s voter registration, a red flag for Democrats who need Black voters to turn out in heavy numbers if Kamala Harris is going to flip this state. As of Wednesday, Black voters make up 18 percent of the electorate in early voting, and some Democratic operatives said they must bump that up to about 20 percent for Harris to be competitive statewide. In 2020, Black voters were 19 percent of the electorate, when Donald Trump narrowly won the state. And Democrats acknowledge that without a swing in their favor in the last days of early voting or on Election Day, it may not be good enough. About 36,000 more African Americans had voted in-person by this point in 2020 than in 2024, and \u2018that gap has to be closed among African Americans for Democrats to win,\u2019 said Thomas Mills, a Democratic strategist in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>PA: \u201cThe Battle for What May Be the Most Important County in the Country\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/article\/187597\/pennsylvania-election-most-important-county-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. \u201cThe polling worries everyone, right and left. While I am in town, the FiveThirtyEight simulation points for the first time in months toward a Trump win. There is a subtle shift in momentum, and you feel it everywhere, like the first chill of autumn. The early voting numbers for Republicans seem to be especially high, though no one can tell if those are new voters or people who have voted for Trump anyway. The consensus seems to be that Harris is running a better campaign than Clinton did in 2016, but Trump is also running a better campaign than he did in 2020. Make of that what you will.\u201d \u2022 A good portrait of Erie, even if it does focus \u2014 as it probably would if I wrote it \u2014 on bookstores, a local Cabernet, a food hall, and gourmet pizza. And also: \u2018Not only has Erie picked every president since 2008 correctly, it has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercyhurst.edu\/news\/eries-crystal-ball-will-swing-county-pick-presidential-winner-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">hugely consequential<\/a> in making those picks. It is a needle that registers every shift in the country\u2019s mood, even if those shifts are happening thousands of miles away. Or, as a minister will put it at a Black church later that evening, \u201cErie County holds this election upon its shoulders.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>WI: \u201cHave Democrats found a way to win over rural America? Look at what\u2019s happening in Wisconsin\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/10\/27\/wisconsin-democrats-rural-voters-00185617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cBut to regain clout in Madison [,WI], they\u2019ll need to rebuild trust with voters in a place that\u2019s become increasingly hostile to Democrats nationwide: rural America. Democrats have a shot in Wisconsin thanks to new voting maps passed after the state\u2019s liberal-controlled high court tossed out the ones crafted by Republicans to tilt in their favor\u2026. Republican leaders are banking that a deep bench of incumbents and a track record of delivering tax cuts will keep rural voters in their camp\u2026. But Democrats are looking to continue a recent string of success in statewide races after winning back the governor\u2019s mansion in 2018 and flipping the state\u2019s Supreme Court from conservative to liberal in 2023. They\u2019re pouring money into more than a dozen battleground seats unlocked by new maps. \u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&amp;list_select_county=all_counties&amp;data-type=Risk&amp;null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&amp;l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&amp;subtopic=recurring-updates&amp;indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"50.114529393847\">\n<p>\u201cFederal and State Veterinary Agencies Share Update on HPAI Detections in Oregon Backyard Farm, Including First H5N1 Detections in Swine\u201d (press release) [APHIS, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aphis.usda.gov\/news\/agency-announcements\/federal-state-veterinary-agencies-share-update-hpai-detections-oregon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">USDA<\/a>]. \u201cThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Oregon state veterinary officials are investigating positive cases of H5N1 in a backyard farming operation [i.e., not just Big Ag] in Oregon that has a mix of poultry and livestock, including swine\u2026. On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories also confirmed one of the farm\u2019s five pigs to be infected with H5N1, marking the first detection of H5N1 in swine in the United States. The livestock and poultry on this farm shared water sources, housing, and equipment; in other states, this combination has enabled transmission between species\u2026 USDA\u2019s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has conducted genomic sequencing of virus from the poultry infected on this farm, and that sequencing has not identified any changes to the H5N1 virus that would suggest to USDA and CDC that it is more transmissible to humans, indicating that the current risk to the public remains low.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBird flu found in a pig in U.S. for the first time, raising concerns about potential risks to humans\u201d [Helen Branswell, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2024\/10\/30\/h5n1-bird-flu-found-in-oregon-pig-reassortment-threat-human-transmission\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">STAT<\/a>]. \u201cPigs are sometimes called a \u201cmixing vessel\u201d for flu viruses, because they can be infected with both bird flu viruses and human flu viruses. If the animals are co-infected at the same time with two or more viruses, the viruses can swap genes, potentially creating a hybrid virus that is better able to spread to and among people than bird flu viruses typically are. This phenomenon, called reassortment, is what gave rise to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Because pigs can play this role, flu experts have been worried that the H5N1 virus currently spreading in cows in the United States could make its way to pigs \u2014 though any version of the H5N1.\u201d And: \u201cPigs are highly susceptible to flu viruses \u2014 human and avian. In fact, over decades, human seasonal flu viruses have found their way into pig populations, where they circulate and reassort\u2026. The fact that many of the viruses in pigs previously circulated in humans indicates they have the genetic know-how to do what H5N1 has not been able to do on its own, but could potentially acquire the capacity to do, if it underwent the right gene swap. \u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUSDA announces first H5N1 avian flu detection in US pigs\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/avian-influenza-bird-flu\/usda-announces-first-h5n1-avian-flu-detection-us-pigs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy<\/a>]. \u201cMichael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota\u2019s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), which publishes CIDRAP News, said it\u2019s not yet known if the pig was truly infected or if the nasal passages had been contaminated by environmental exposure, a situation strongly suspected when a Colorado poultry culler tested positive in 2022 during nasal swabbing that was done as part of illness monitoring. He said the necropsy examination will reveal if the pig was truly infected and if the virus was found deep in the pig\u2019s lungs. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to wait and see,\u201d Osterholm said, urging caution in interpreting the new development. He noted that earlier scientific work suggested that the virus doesn\u2019t easily infect pigs.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/jobless-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe number of individuals filing for unemployment benefits in the US fell by 12,000 from the previous week to 216,000 on the period ending October 26th, reaching the same level of mid-May of this year, and well below market expectations of 230,000. The decline reinforced the view that the U.S. labor market remains resilient to the Federal Reserve\u2019s restrictive interest rates, bolstering expectations that the central bank will hold off on further aggressive rate cuts in upcoming decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Challenger Job Cuts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/challenger-job-cuts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cUS employers announced 55,597 job cuts in October 2024, below 72,821 in September, but above 50.9% from 36,836 in October 2023. Aerospace\/Defense led the cuts (18,465), primarily on Boeing\u2019s announcement to cut 17K jobs, followed by Retailers (7,696) and Consumer Products manufacturers (4,571). October\u2019s total marks the seventh time this year job cut announcements are higher year-on-year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Income: \u201cUnited States Personal Income\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/personal-income\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cUS personal income rose by 0.3% from the previous month to $24.948 trillion in September of 2024, in line with market expectations and picking up from the 0.2% increase in the previous month, extending the view of a strong US economy despite the prolonged period of tight credit conditions. Compensation for employees continued to rise sharply\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Inflation: \u201cUnited States Core PCE Price Index MoM\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/core-pce-price-index-mom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe US core PCE price index, the Federal Reserve\u2019s preferred gauge to measure underlying inflation, rose by 0.3% from the previous month in September of 2024, the highest gain in five months.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Stock Won\u2019t Budge Despite All the Bad News. This Is Why\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/articles\/boeing-stock-strike-shares-sale-c04cd2e5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Barron\u2019s<\/a>]. \u201cThere is a lot for Boeing investors to deal with these days. Through it all, the stock has been remarkably stable. There is a good reason for that\u2026 Boeing stock seems unaffected by all that troubling news. The reason is fairly simple: It\u2019s half a trillion dollars. That\u2019s roughly the value of Boeing\u2019s backlog. Boeing can make money. It just needs to make planes. Boeing delivered 806 planes in 2018. Wall Street believes Boeing can beat that number in 2028. Wall Street\u2019s free cash flow estimate for 2028 is about $10 billion, according to FactSet. The estimate hasn\u2019t moved much over the past three months. No change in the long-term cash flow outlook. No change in the stock price\u2026 The big question for investors is what is the direction of 2028 free cash flow? Will it be better or worse than $10 billion? That\u2019s hard to say. It\u2019s a long way off, but that answer will determine how the stock does in the coming year or two. And yes, Boeing management and workers need to make peace before that. The workers make the planes.\u201d \u2022 Well, maybe if Wall Street hadn\u2019t given Boeing <a href=\"https:\/\/sg.finance.yahoo.com\/news\/boeing-eyes-20-7-billion-171018075.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a $20 billion<\/a> reacharound, the workers would be getting back to work making planes right now.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cPressure mounting for Boeing strike to end from Washington business leaders\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.king5.com\/article\/tech\/science\/aerospace\/boeing\/pressure-mounting-boeing-strike\/281-729e2257-dd0d-4c97-90ba-e3aff01605d2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">King5<\/a>]. \u201cThe longer it goes on, however, the more business leaders across the U.S. are vocalizing their desire for an end to the strike. The Association of Washington Business\u2019 Kris Johnson told KING 5, \u2018It\u2019s the economy that\u2019s at stake.\u2019 He and dozens of other business chamber leaders across 41 other states sent a letter Wednesday to leaders of both Boeing and the IAM District 751 union, pleading for an urgent resolution. The groups wrote, \u2018We were extremely disappointed that union membership rejected the most recent contract proposal.&#8217;\u201d \u2022 And I\u2019m sure the workers were \u201cextremely disappointed\u201d in the contract, ffs.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cThe union fight to resuscitate the Boeing pension is a battle over the American dream\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/companies\/the-union-fight-to-resuscitate-the-boeing-pension-is-a-battle-over-the-american-dream\/ar-AA1tgU90?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MarketWatch<\/a>]. \u201cA pension, also known as a defined-benefit plan, is typically a guaranteed payout from your employer in retirement. A 401(k), or defined-contribution plan, is a workplace retirement savings and investment plan in which contributions come out of an employee\u2019s paycheck and may be matched by the employer. \u2018401(k)s just aren\u2019t cutting it; it\u2019s a failed experiment for millions of people. 401(k)s put all the risks and responsibilities on the individual, who may be debating between keeping the lights on or buying groceries,\u2019 said Karen Friedman, executive director of the Pension Rights Center. \u201cPensions have always been part of the American dream and retirement security \u2014 so that\u2019s what\u2019s at stake. This [union battle] is stimulating a debate on these issues.\u2019 Boeing reiterated the statement it has made since September.\u2019 There is no scenario where the company reactivates a defined-benefit pension for this or any other population. They\u2019re prohibitively expensive and that\u2019s why virtually all private employers have transitioned away from them to defined-contribution plans,\u2019 the company said. Bank of America analysts estimated in a research report earlier this month that reinstating the pension would cost Boeing about $25 billion over a 15-year time horizon, or $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion a year. \u2018Given the state of affairs in the company\u2019s balance sheet, the ask for a defined-benefit program restart would seem to be a nonstarter on a number of levels,\u2019 analysts at Wolfe Research said in a recent report.\u201d \u2022 Totally. I mean, that\u2019s a lot of executive pensions and stock buybacks, alll gone, and who wants that?<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cIt\u2019s a human issue with Boeing\u201d (Letter to the Editor) [<a href=\"https:\/\/columbiabasinherald.com\/news\/2024\/oct\/31\/letter-its-a-human-issue-with-boeing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Columbia Basin Herald<\/a>]. \u201cThis strike is about respect and human factors, not money. The return of our pension is paramount. Company leadership and their contract negotiators are snowblind and tone-deaf. We have long memories and have been grievously disrespected these past 10 years we\u2019ve gone without any contract improvements. The Machinist Union membership didn\u2019t ruin this once great company. Company management owns the debacle. The media keeps harping that we won\u2019t win our pension back. That is what the robber barons said a century or more ago about unions winning the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, vacation time and medical benefits among other human factor issues that we have fought and paid for in blood. This is the new \u2018Gilded Age\u2019 we are living through. Working-class women and men are standing up to the oligarchs and corporate greed. This is a fight that we have to and will win for all working families.\u201d \u2022 I wonder whether this sentiment is shared by the 36% who voted for the current contract (and what Boeing management and the union are doing about that).<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cThe Mysterious Case of Boeing and the 350 Missing Planes\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/articles\/boeing-airbus-planes-372bcce6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Barron\u2019s<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing has experienced years of struggle tied to design and production problems with the 737 MAX. As a result, it doesn\u2019t provide guidance. Wall Street still makes projections. At the start of 2024, analysts expected Boeing to deliver about 700 planes and generate an operating profit of about $5.5 billion, according to FactSet. Now the estimates are 377 jets and an operating loss of more than $7 billion. Those numbers\u2014both Boeing\u2019s and Airbus\u2019\u2014mean 353 planes have vanished from delivery estimates. The number will creep higher the longer the Boeing labor strike that began on Sept. 13 goes on\u2026. The missing 2024 deliveries might end up equating to about 2% of total airline capacity. That might not sound like a lot, but it\u2019s enough to affect airline capacity planning and, therefore, airfares.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing skips China\u2019s biggest airshow amid spending curbs\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesstimes.com.sg\/companies-markets\/transport-logistics\/boeing-skips-chinas-biggest-airshow-amid-spending-curbs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Business Times<\/a>]. \u201cThe US planemaker will not be one of the exhibitors at the Zhuhai Airshow next month, a spokesperson said in an e-mail response. The planemaker has previously said it is looking to curb spending amid a crippling strike\u2026 Boeing has also been caught up in the geopolitical tensions between the US and China, and new orders for the planemaker have been scarce in what is one of the world\u2019s fastest growing aviation markets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cChina voices support for Nasa over botched Boeing Starliner space mission\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3284616\/china-voices-support-nasa-over-botched-boeing-starliner-space-mission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">South China Morning Post<\/a>]. \u2022 When your enemy\u2019s drowning, throw \u2019em an anvil.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing strike will dent last jobs report before election\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2024\/10\/31\/boeing-strike-will-dent-last-jobs-report-before-election.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNBC<\/a>]. \u201cEconomists expect the U.S. to have added 100,000 jobs in October. Bank of America this week forecast that payroll tallies will be at least 50,000 lower than they would have otherwise been because of the strikes and affects of both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear &amp; Greed Index: 60 Greed (previous close: 60 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 62 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Oct 30 at 1:00:29 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Onward to Cubism (1891):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3947368421053\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4631578947368\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Woman with Dog <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lIgB0FjlhR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/lIgB0FjlhR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pierre Bonnard (@pierre_bonnard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pierre_bonnard\/status\/1851887088821498197\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 31, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Reminds me of <em>Eloise in Paris<\/em>, I can\u2019t think why:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/eloise.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"462\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-281427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/eloise.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/eloise-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cShroud of Turin \u2018does not show face of Jesus\u2019 \u2013 in fact he never touched it says study\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailystar.co.uk\/news\/latest-news\/shroud-turin-does-not-show-34003162\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Star<\/a>]. \u201c[The study] found that the impression on the fabric could not have been made by a three-dimensional human body, but was perhaps from a bas-relief \u2013 a shallow carving. Author of the study Cicero Moraes, used a virtual fabric to carry out his tests and said that when laid flat it showed \u2018a distorted and significantly more robust image\u2019 than that on the shroud, as a result of the change from 3D to 2D.\u2019 He said the findings were easy to explain and added: \u2018The explanation of the differences is very simple.\u2019 \u2018When you wrap a 3D object with a fabric, and that object leaves a pattern like blood stains, these stains generate a more robust and more deformed structure in relation to the source. \u2018So, roughly speaking, what we see as a result of printing stains from a human body would be a more swollen and distorted version of it, not an image that looks like a photocopy.\u2019 \u2018A bas-relief, however, wouldn\u2019t cause the image to deform, resulting in a figure that resembles a photocopy of the body.&#8217;\u201d \u2022 I\u2019m glad we\u2019ve got that cleared up, at least.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201c#JeNeSuisPasLiberal: Entering the Quagmire of Online Leftism\u201d [David Auerbach, <a href=\"https:\/\/theamericanreader.com\/jenesuispasliberal-entering-the-quagmire-of-online-leftism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The American Reader<\/a>]. \u2022 I hate this kind of chart \u2014 who invented it, McKinsey? \u2014 but FWIW here it is:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/leftist_concepts.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"505\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-281426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/leftist_concepts.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/leftist_concepts-300x253.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cDigging Into PlantStudio, a Bit Late\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/pketh.org\/plantstudio.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Pketh<\/a>]. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kurtz-fernhout.com\/PlantStudio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PlantStudio<\/a> is a surprisingly deep botany simulator for creating and arranging 3D models of herbaceous plants based on how real plants grow, change, fruit, and flower, over their life cycles. Because the last release of the app was in 2002, and it was for Windows 95\/98\/2000\/NT4, we\u2019ve got a little bit of work to do to get it running on macOS.\u201d \u2022 Indeed! Looks fun, though!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou Don\u2019t Need to Be a Billionaire to Ride in Her Rocket Car\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/2SdKH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cWhen my father was growing up, he used to go to Cleveland\u2019s Euclid Beach amusement park. He had his first date there, and so did many of his friends. There was a ride with space rocket swings called the Rocket Ships. When the park closed in 1969, it was the end of an era. One day, in the 1970s, my dad was driving in Cleveland and saw one of the old rockets from that amusement park ride in the backyard of a house. He parked out front and sat there, remembering the glory days. A guy came out and said, \u2018Hey, can I help you?\u2019 My dad asked about the rocket, and the guy said, \u2018You want it? You can have it.\u2019 [His] mind was amazing. He could make a car out of anything. I have a car he built out of a bathtub. He decided to build the Rocket Car, a street-legal vehicle he could use to drive his family around. My dad mated the original rocket with a subframe from an Oldsmobile Toronado and a modified Oldsmobile \u2018Rocket 455\u2019 engine\u2014so it all fit together. Inspired by a school science project my brother Eric was doing, my dad used chains and gears from heavy equipment in the steering mechanism. My father built the first Rocket Car before I was born, but he found a second rocket and built a second car for my mother, Leanne Heitman, after I was born.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Contact information for plants<\/strong>: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/10\/200pm-water-cooler-10-29-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From JC:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/golf_course.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"442\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-281424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/golf_course.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/golf_course-300x221.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>JC commments: \u201cTaken on my daily walk around the golf course with the pooch.  Pooch not included.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/10\/200pm-water-cooler-10-31-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Common Nightingale, Les Demoiselles Coiff\u00e9es de B\u00e9doin, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur, France. Duet! * * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153,183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-spotlight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86584\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}