Awwwwww

 

Yeah - this will help (sarcasm)

 Since the United States has attempted to broker a cease-fire(s) this has happened:

Gaza. 43,000 people dead (12,000 children)

Gaza. 101,000 wounded

Gaza : 10,000 missing

Lebanon: 2,700 people dead

Lebanon: 12,400 wounded

West Bank:  594 killed 1(15 children) - 10 of the deaths at the hands of (illegal) West Bank Settlers

 Why don't we stop pretending we can do anything?

Perché non smettiamo di fingere di poter fare qualsiasi cosa.

Palm Springs seems to do things other places cannot.

I'm from Los Angeles. I've lived in New York. I lived in the Bay Area once.

None of these cities could build low-income housing quickly. Palm Springs built two complexes last year.

Monarch has 60 units held for various low-income levels.

Vista Sunrise II has 61 units.

I am impressed.

--

Vengo da Los Angeles. Ho vissuto a New York. Una volta vivevo nella Bay Area.

Nessuna di queste città è stata in grado di costruire rapidamente alloggi per i poveri. Palm Springs ha costruito due complessi l'anno scorso.

Monarch dispone di 60 unità detenute per vari livelli di basso reddito.

Vista Sunrise II ha 61 unità.

Sono impressionato.

And this is the magic that was Teri Garr

Teri Garr has passed. She was great. I loved her.

Here is an excellent scene from Tootsie. I particularly loved the line, "I DID say I wanted you to be honest. I didn't say I would be okay with it."

Teri Garr è morta. Lei è stata fantastica. L'amavo.

Ecco una scena eccellente di Tootsie. Mi è piaciuta particolarmente la linea, "Ho detto che volevo che tu fossi onesto. Non ho detto che mi sarebbe andato bene.

A sign we are going to win!

 The Dodgers won the World Series in 5. There are 5 days left until the election. Tada! A sign. 

(PS - I will include an Italian translation at the end of my posts. I am trying to learn Italian.)

It is a sign from the baseball gods. Maybe they talk to the political gods. 

I Dodgers hanno vinto le World Series in 5. Mancano 5 giorni alle elezioni. Tada! Un segno.

È un segno degli dei del baseball. Forse parlano con gli dei politici.

I know we kind of ignore this...

 .. but the floods in Spain have been crazy. Like North Carolina, these usually do not happen there and people were not prepared.

And still more f*ckery

 Virginia started early voting in September, but in the last few weeks, it has been purging voter rolls.

Cleaning up and purging voter roles is pretty standard. However, do it DURING AND ELECTION is some high-class f*uckery.

And the Supreme Court, fascist apologists, said, no problem. No problem to do it while voting is going - although they have ALREADY removed many citizens (having a Hispanic last name is enough to have you challenged!). The Supreme Court also violated its own rules about timing. And it violated the Voting Rights Act.

But legal precedents mean dick-all to these Trump boot-lickers. Oy!

Oh yeah, it was approved by the Supreme Court 6 - 3. Three of the 6 appointed by Orange Hairball.

Shit Storm continues to grow, expected to be a Category 5 by Tuesday

 

This poll is disconcerning to me

 I find the poll below very disconcerting. I'll tell you why afterward.

See, here is the problem with this info.

What it means about Harris / Trump is not new information. However, broken out, it is evident that there is a glaring difference between college-educated voters and non-college voters.

It signals to me that there is a growing class divide in the United States. People do not like to admit that we have different "classes." We may believe people have different education or even income levels, but America is based on the idea that moving between income and education classes is possible. I am no longer sure that this is true, or even if Americans believe it.

Those who look at trends see that the easy ability to move up in income groups is less and less accurate. We have less social mobility now than nearly all of Europe. The ability to "pull yourself by your bootstraps" is less possible in the US than in 26 other countries (including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and all the Nordic and Benelux nations).

Some of the "class divides." 

Note: I am NOT saying these are good. In fact, I think this is terrible for the nation. ALSO when I use the term "high class" or "higher class" I mean economically, not inherently or intelligence-wise. It is now usually the higher classes that believe it is still possible to move economically and socially. And so they feel less generous to those who haven't made it because they are "lazy."

1. It is more expensive to go to college than ever. Either your parents have saved money, or you exit with very onerous loans. This reinforces our educated/uneducated divide.
2. Economically, higher-class people can send their children to better private schools and pay for college prep. This reinforces the educational and income divide.
3. Higher-class individuals have separated themselves from the lower and middle classes. As they move to exclusive neighborhoods, either gated or city-based, they have almost no incentive to improve schools and facilities for the majority of the area.
4. Higher-class individuals pay to fly in business, to drive in toll lanes, or to avoid mixing with the public in general. (And yes, I know I am now in the higher economic class.)
5. With the massive cutting of public money for education, most 4 year colleges or universities have priced themselves out of education for the public.
6. Opportunities for those who did not go to college have shrunk. Even jobs that don't actually need a college education still require applicants to have a college degree.
7. Employers have added benefits for college educated, even as the income of non-college educated has plummeted comparatively, and employers have discovered nefarious ways to avoid paying for healthcare and more.
1. One way of avoiding benefit costs is to make employees work less than 30 hours, so they don't have to pay. This means people often have to work 2 jobs.
2. Without health care from employers, the lower class has to use emergency rooms for any care.
8. Inflation hit the lower and middle classes hard. It did little to monetarily affect the higher class.
9. The United States has lowered the threshold on which to tax inheritances. And the money now flows down to the rich's children instead of the government.
1. This was not always the case. We used to tax the hell out of inheritances with the idea that anyone could move into a different income group.
2. From 1945 until 1980, inheritance taxes were 78% after a deduction of $670,000. Now it is 40% after a deduction of $13.7 million. This is a decrease in taxes by 50% and an increase in deductions of 190%. For comparison, the minimum wage has increased by 3.5%.
3. There are also more legal ways to avoid this with trusts and other schemes.

So, governmentally and socially, the barriers to class movement have grown exponentially. And voters get it. The fact they are turning to a con man means that we have constrained other means of expressing ourselves. 

We have to fix this. Note just because it is the right thing to do, but because continued class differences never end well.

6 days more

 

Frey House #2

 Last week was Modernism Week in Palm Springs. Actually Modernism Week / Fall. The big one is in Spring. But that is neither here nor there.

Ed, Lynn, and I went to the Frey House #2. Albert Frey was a Swiss Architect who moved to the US. At one point, he and his mentor traveled across the United States for inspiration and study. When he got to Palm Springs, he stopped. He loved the color, the light, and the starkness of the desert.  So he moved here and began designing many of the desert buildings in the Palm Springs area.

We visited Frey House #2, which was his home and study from 1963 until his death. As with most architect homes, it was oddly spare and small. His home was built high above Palm Springs. It is closed to the public, but was open this one day.

Yes, cheesy me. But the big rock was incorporated into the house itself.

View from the home

The original "bedroom" was in the same space as the living / dining areas.

Frey's dining area was the shelf above the couch.

You can see the pool behind. The corrugated steel roof gets the wavey reflections from the pool.

Actually, the bedroom that was built for his father after his mother passed away and he moved in.

Lynn and Eddie standing outside the tiny home.

7

 Just 7 more days!!!!

Sometimes A Politician "Promises" Tax Cuts

Many politicians promise tax cuts when running. They rarely can make them. Sure, sometimes they can pass 1 or maybe 2, but it is rare. And "eliminating" is the most challenging tax cut of all.

Here is what McFascist is promising:

1. Remove taxes on tips for the service industry
2. Remove taxes on seniors' social security benefits
3. Caregiver tax credit for family members
4. Count car loan interest will be deducted from your taxes
5. Eliminate "double" taxation for overseas residents
6. Fully extend all current tax breaks when they expire next year
7. Lower corporate tax rates from 21% to 15%
8. Remove cap for state and local income tax deductions
9. End income taxes altogether (this will be done using the "very wonderful" tariffs he raises)

Because otherwise, how will they win

 8 days, and the f*ckery is in full swing

Ten

 Ten days to go...

It gets worse and worse:

The Hungarian "Illiberal Democracy" is Repeated in America

Hungary is a self-proclaimed "Illiberal Democracy." That is, you can vote in Hungary, but it won't change much. In Hungary, the media is owned by the country's President or by his friends only.

Most of the Hungarian media frog-marched themselves into servitude. Those media companies that did not support the current regime were nationalized by the President or forced to sell to the President's allies. Now, in any matter, the media lines up behind him, the same as the Chinese and Russian press do for their leaders.

It is not Mussolini-type fascism. It is more insidious than that. But it follows a trajectory that the Republicans admire. The Republicans have invited the President of Hungary, Viktor Orban, to conservative conclaves in the United States and held Conservative PACs in Hungary.

drip drip drip

To start this descent into an illiberal democracy-  the media, which is nominally independent, has decided to not endorse a pick for President after decades of endorsements. In this case, "the media" refers to 2nd and 3rd largest city newspapers in the country - The Washington Post and LA Times, both owned by a multi-millionaire (or a billionaire) owner trying to stay on Trump's good side, should he win.

drip fucking drip

From Reporters Without Borders:

Well, this seems appropriate....

 And the explanation from the Guardian follows:

A new temporary bronze installation depicting a pile of feces on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was erected in Washington DC this week across from the US Capitol, appearing to satirically “honor” the people behind the January 6 insurrection.

The scatological statue, which was installed on Thursday, features a swirl somewhat resembling the common “poop” emoji sitting on a desk with Pelosi’s name.

“This memorial honors the brave men and women who broke into the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 to loot, urinate and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election,” the plaque under the statue reads.

“President Trump celebrates these heroes of January 6th as ‘unbelievable patriots’ and ‘warriors.’ This monument stands as a testament to their daring sacrifice and lasting legacy.”

The statue does not indicate who the artist is or who created it. However, according to the Washington Post, the National Park Service approved a permit request from Julia Jimenez-Pyzik of Civic Crafted LLC to install a statue on the National Mall until 30 October.

The Park Service added that when issuing permits it “does not consider the content of the message being presented”, and that “as federal land and America’s premier civic space, the National Mall serves as a forum where citizens can exercise their Constitutional rights to speech and assembly”.

In the permit, obtained by NBC News, Civic Crafted LLC said the desk “represents the heart of democracy, where decisions are made, voices are heard, and the future is shaped”.

“Here, the power of the people finds its expression through the diligent efforts of those who serve the public good,” it said. “When rioters broke in to destroy these ideals, this desk stands firm, so too must the principles of equality, justice, and freedom that it represents.”

It added that the statue is named The Resolute Desk.

STUNNING New Pictures of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair

 I have heard of this fair. I have read Devil in the White City. But these images from 130 years ago are stunning!

A few:

Debacle is now only 11 days away

 

Soon grasshopper....

Racist Misogynist Australian Anti Semite claims Kamala Harris has a low IQ

Wait, isn't he the person who had an antisemitic breakdown at a police station and then said to a female officer booking him, "What you looking at, Sugar T*ts?"

And Kamala has a low IQ.

Light posting, Lynnie is here

 Lynn is here for about 10 days, and visiting with her makes for light posting. However, here are a bunch of images from a desert botanical garden we visited.

Ladies and Gentlemen: (Drumroll please)

 Sure, some people think our potential Presidential Candidate, Trump, isn't mentally fit for the job. And so, to convince you he is ready, he went on an 11-minute discussion about the size of Arnold Palmer's penis.

Are you ready to vote for him now:

Death of Hamas Leader - What it could mean

 If Israel were a sane diplomatic player, a new path in Gaza would be available, and it would be a significant move towards an endgame. 

Israel has killed the leader of Hamas. Israel's stated position is that they needed to end Hamas. This killing did not do that completely, but it is an oversized news item.

At this point, Israel should declare a unilateral ceasefire for 3 weeks. Israel has divided Gaza into two districts, so they can rightly say that if the cease-fire is breached in one of the regions, the war in that region will begin again. This allows Israel to offer a plan of hope in return for peace. And it can offer this carrot and stick to the two areas and react accordingly.

Why 3 weeks? Netanyahu is waiting to see what the outcome of the US Election is. If Trump wins, he goes all in on killing as many Palestinians as he can. If Harris wins, then he will have to change his plans to wipe out Palestinians and find another way to move forward.

In either case, a cease-fire could be helpful time to reinforce their army or, hopefully, plan for the peace.

But as implied in the first sentence, I don't think Israel is a sane diplomatic player. I believe Netanyahu is blundering his way through a conflict to save his skin for crimes. NOTE: this is not an anti-Israeli or anti-semitic rant or sentiment. I definitely hope for peace, and I believe that this path proves the most positive way forward for Israel.

Colossal BioTech

 Colossal Biological Sciences company ( https://colossal.com/ ) is a company studying genetics and a working to "de-extinct" some of the lost species of the world. It is a boutique operation, but trying to resolve a bigger problem. 

The three acknowledged animals they are trying to bring back are the showiest ones, the Wooly Mammoth, the Tasmanian Tiger, and the Dodo - who doesn't want the Dodo back? But the science behind this could also help keep some animals from extinction at all. 

Imagine if a male Northern White Rhino(s) could be brought back. They might mate with the two living females and start to repopulate the species. Anyway, it is an interesting company (with cool graphics).

See, cool images.

My new substack is up if you want to look

 The Intersection of Geography and Economics

My new post is up. It is about the Russian-Japanese War of 1904, not so much the logistics or gains/losses of the war as how it ushered in multiple changes in how wars are won. It also documents the rise of Asia as a power center in the World.

If you read it and like it, tell others that signing up is free, and they benefit from my weekly thoughts on history as seen through the prism of geography and enconomics.

A Great Article about Hunting and Gun Deaths that defies easy explanations

 Let me start by saying this. The headline here does not do the article justice. The article itself is written by a criminologist who is also a hunter.

He sees through both eyes as a hunter and researcher. And as hunting has reduced in popularity, gun ownership, and mass shootings have gone up. He is from Maine, where gun ownership is very high, but gun violence is not. In many ways, he attributes this dichotomy partly to the training hunters must undergo to get a license. He also attributes part of it to stupid ass laws. Take this for instance:

Second, there are laws that apply to hunting that do not apply to other types of gun carrying. For example, in Maine, when driving the logging roads looking for game, I cannot have a weapon loaded in my vehicle. If we spot a partridge, we must stop the vehicle, step outside of it, load, and then fire. The purpose of this regulation is, of course, to promote safety, a concept that is of utmost concern for hunters. But if you are carrying a gun for nonhunting purposes? Then it’s fine to have it loaded in your car. It’s literally written into the legislation on guns and vehicles in Maine. So if you want to shoot a deer, you have to be safe about it. If you want to shoot a person, throw caution to the wind.

He rejects the easy arguments that color both sides of the debate. He agrees that guns don't kill people, people do - but having a means of killing people easily at your disposal is not a good thing. He has investigated the idea that killing animals makes it easier to kill people, and debunks it.

He has gone to great lengths to find a correlation between gun access and gun violence, but there is not a clear correlation at all, possibly due to the widespread ownership of guns for self-defense vs. hunting vs. illegal use. There might be a correlation between gun violence and handgun ownership, but there is no good way to measure this because gun ownership is not broken down that way.

I THINK - changing from commenting on this to commenting about gun violence - that registration and insurance might be helpful to change this story in this country. Guns can kill people, and cars can kill people. Everyone has to take driver's ed to get a license. And everyone has to have insurance to drive. The same process could be used for guns. 

True, not everyone will follow the rules here, but not everyone follows the rules about cars. It still makes society work better than allowing driver's licenses and ownership to anyone who can reach the pedals.