The Art of Understating the Overstatement: With ever-dropping water levels in Lake Mead, which is getting farther and farther east of Las Vegas, Nev., more and more bodies have been found, many thought to be from mafia “hits” over the years in the Sin City. “The world as it is right now is depressing,” said Vegas attorney Steven Parke. “We get bad news every day, so why not throw something up that’s going to make people either chuckle, let them think about something, or what I thought would happen is no one would even bother to read it, but I guess I was wrong. People do read billboards.” Specifically, his own billboard for his 9-year-old law firm. “Injured while searching for dead bodies at Lake Mead?” the giant outdoor ad asks. “Demand Compensation!” The ad “is dripping with irony,” Parke said. “It takes the idea of the greedy attorney mixed with the person who doesn’t want to accept any responsibility for anything they’ve done ... which is very timely today.” (RC/KLAS Las Vegas) ...And yesterday. And the day before. And....
Yes, this is the same source:: The Smash Sparrows campaign that was instituted in China in 1958 was meant to protect farmers' crops by eliminating the Eurasian tree sparrows that were believed to be consuming large amounts of the country's grain. In the absence of sparrows, though, crop-eating insects flourished, which led, in part, to the Great Chinese Famine of 1959.
New study finds toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in Canadian food packaging
In an effort to get single use plastic out of our food system, forever chemicals have been intoduced
"Researchers at the University of Toronto, Indiana University and University of Notre Dame have detected levels of toxic PFAS chemicals—short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—for the first time in Canadian fast-food packaging, specifically water-and-grease repellent paper alternatives to plastic. "
"Published today in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, the findings suggest that food packaging exposes people directly to PFAS, which have been linked to serious health effects such as increased cancer risk and immune system damage, by contaminating the food they eat. Further, once discarded packaging enters waste streams, PFAS enter the environment, where these “forever chemicals” will never break down. These health and environmental risks have prompted 11 U.S. states to ban PFAS from most food packaging, and two major restaurant chains to commit to becoming PFAS-free by 2025.
Utah social media law certainly ambitious, but is it enforceable?
Utah’s sweeping social media legislation passed this week is an ambitious attempt to shield children and teens from the ill effects of social media and empower parents to decide whether their kids should be using apps like TikTok or Instagram.
What’s not clear is if — and how — the new rules can be enforced and whether they will create UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES (my caps)for kids and teens already coping with a mental health crisis
The failure of the US govt pullout from Afghanistan. Seems to me like zero planning which will have drastic effects for generations to come from the talibandit instant takeover.
Solid sludge left over from sewerage processing was planned to be incinerated in cement company kiln. If the plant was down for a short time the solids would go to the landfill. Well, the kiln has been down for year, not just a week or two, the biosolids are piling up in the landfill much faster than ANTICIPATED [my Caps] Now what to do??
I remember back in the middle of the last century that my dad bought bags of Milorganite--dried sewerage sludge from Milwaukee.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221019-how-a-magician-mathematician-revealed-a-casino-loophole
Expected and unexpected consequences of not shuffling a deck of cards 8 times.
Playing bridge now is going to take such a turn.
Here is another hot off the TRUE wires from This is True
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGqQJhCwWdSfjqZPhbVGsqNZCJD
The Art of Understating the Overstatement: With ever-dropping water levels in Lake Mead, which is getting farther and farther east of Las Vegas, Nev., more and more bodies have been found, many thought to be from mafia “hits” over the years in the Sin City. “The world as it is right now is depressing,” said Vegas attorney Steven Parke. “We get bad news every day, so why not throw something up that’s going to make people either chuckle, let them think about something, or what I thought would happen is no one would even bother to read it, but I guess I was wrong. People do read billboards.” Specifically, his own billboard for his 9-year-old law firm. “Injured while searching for dead bodies at Lake Mead?” the giant outdoor ad asks. “Demand Compensation!” The ad “is dripping with irony,” Parke said. “It takes the idea of the greedy attorney mixed with the person who doesn’t want to accept any responsibility for anything they’ve done ... which is very timely today.” (RC/KLAS Las Vegas) ...And yesterday. And the day before. And....
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/hawthorn-opinion-good-intentions-1.6551640
Yes, this is the same source:: The Smash Sparrows campaign that was instituted in China in 1958 was meant to protect farmers' crops by eliminating the Eurasian tree sparrows that were believed to be consuming large amounts of the country's grain. In the absence of sparrows, though, crop-eating insects flourished, which led, in part, to the Great Chinese Famine of 1959.
Lots of UC covered in this book I just read: You Bet Your Life
From Blood Transfusions to Mass Vaccination, the Long and Risky History of Medical Innovation
by Paul A. Offit, MD
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/10/starlink-satellite-dish-cats-elon-musk
Cat on a hot satellite dish: Elon Musk’s Starlink antenna hits surprise problem
Starlink’s satellite internet performance has fallen victim to felines attracted to the warmth its dish gives off on cold days
don't tell anyone but an ancestor of mine introduced gorse and bunnies to New Zealand ca 1828
The other example that comes to mind is the English Sparrow being introduced to North America
Good point... pretty nearly the same time as rabbits in AU.
https://earthsky.org/space/dart-mission-deflected-asteroid-unleashed-boulder-swarm/?mc_cid=057fb3c6f5&mc_eid=0c77223388
When the DART spacecraft deliberately struck an asteroid, to try to nudge it from its path, it also released a swarm of boulders.
Thanks, Jon. Really interesting unanticipated consequence!
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/984122
NEWS RELEASE 28-MAR-2023
New study finds toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in Canadian food packaging
In an effort to get single use plastic out of our food system, forever chemicals have been intoduced
"Researchers at the University of Toronto, Indiana University and University of Notre Dame have detected levels of toxic PFAS chemicals—short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—for the first time in Canadian fast-food packaging, specifically water-and-grease repellent paper alternatives to plastic. "
"Published today in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, the findings suggest that food packaging exposes people directly to PFAS, which have been linked to serious health effects such as increased cancer risk and immune system damage, by contaminating the food they eat. Further, once discarded packaging enters waste streams, PFAS enter the environment, where these “forever chemicals” will never break down. These health and environmental risks have prompted 11 U.S. states to ban PFAS from most food packaging, and two major restaurant chains to commit to becoming PFAS-free by 2025.
Times Colonist 25 March 2023
Utah social media law certainly ambitious, but is it enforceable?
Utah’s sweeping social media legislation passed this week is an ambitious attempt to shield children and teens from the ill effects of social media and empower parents to decide whether their kids should be using apps like TikTok or Instagram.
What’s not clear is if — and how — the new rules can be enforced and whether they will create UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES (my caps)for kids and teens already coping with a mental health crisis
May 1588 King Phillip of Spain sends his soon-to-be-famous Armada off to conquer Britain. It was famous alright but for all the wrong reasons.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/15/watch-out-for-hungry-bears-why-elon-musk-new-town-could-run-into-trouble
Watch out for hungry bears! Why Elon Musk’s new town could run into trouble
Arwa Mahdawi
The world’s richest man is building a libertarian utopia in Texas. But when there are no rules or regulations, there can be unexpected problems
The failure of the US govt pullout from Afghanistan. Seems to me like zero planning which will have drastic effects for generations to come from the talibandit instant takeover.
Clearly the failure of SVB is having world wide effects and its going to get worse
https://www.instarbooks.com/books/google-glass.html
Google Glass fiasco
Times Colonist 23 Feb 2023 page 2
BIOSOLIDS BOARD
Solid sludge left over from sewerage processing was planned to be incinerated in cement company kiln. If the plant was down for a short time the solids would go to the landfill. Well, the kiln has been down for year, not just a week or two, the biosolids are piling up in the landfill much faster than ANTICIPATED [my Caps] Now what to do??
I remember back in the middle of the last century that my dad bought bags of Milorganite--dried sewerage sludge from Milwaukee.