CloudWatcher
CloudWatcher's JournalDeaths now at 20 times that from 9/11
9/11 had 2977 fatalities and over 6000 injured (*)
The US is at 60,757 deaths from Coronavirus now (*). And over a million cases with an unknown percentage of them facing serious long-term health problems.
The death count is over 20 times 9/11. Twenty times. And we're far from being done with the body bags.
We fundamentally changed our society and started two wars because of 9/11.
What will our response to this be?
Rejection of science deniers?
Realization that elections matter?
Admitting that good government matters?
Maybe even thinking that health care, housing and food are basic rights?
Perhaps rejection of greed, alternate facts and Fox News?
Noticing that we really are a society and we are all in this together?
Or will Fox News and the sociopaths in power win the day and the idiots will continue to have us by our throats?
WC Fields famously said "Never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump." (*).
Perhaps this is enough for voters to notice we've all been played for chumps and suckers.
USA #1 ... USA #1 ... USA #1
Well Trump has done it. We had more new cases of Covid-19 yesterday (13,355) than any other country. Spain was #2 with 7457 new cases, and Italy #3 with #5210.
We're still #3 on total number of cases, but it's really close and another 24 hours and we'll be #1 there too!!
While we're currently only 5th on new deaths per day, I'm sure by this time next week we'll be #1 there too!!
Go USA!! Go USA!! Go USA!!
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus
Is this really needed? 
Criminal Co-Conspirators
I believe we should all start referring to the GOP Senate by their proper titles: Criminal Co-Conspirators.
They are not just letting Trump off the hook for his criminal acts ... they all expect to benefit from his crime sprees.
Trump is not the real problem.
Of course, Trump and his sycophants are horrific.
But Trump is a symptom, not the problem.
Remember why they are in power.
Remember who put them there.
Hint: We should not just blame Trump.
Focus on the cause.
There will always be narcissists and demagogues.
There will always be con artists, grifters and crooks.
There will always be truly evil people willing to do anything for power.
But ... who is to blame for Trump?
Blame income inequality that allows dynasties.
Blame the news media for selling us entertainment instead of news.
Blame the "both sides" and "whatabout" reporters that haven't a clue.
Blame our election system that allows billions of dollars worth of free TV exposure.
Blame TV viewers that can't distinguish a con from a scholar.
Blame our education system that fails to teach critical thinking.
Blame politicians that choose power over country.
Blame religion that teaches faith in autocracy.
Blame everyone that accepts dogma over science.
Hold them all accountable. Make them change.
Make us change.
We'll always have Trumps and Putins and Erdoğans. We need not allow them power.
We must learn from our mistakes and change what is wrong.
Quickly. Because we are running out of time.
It's different this time. It's not just our governments at stake. It's the Earth.
Without real change, disaster is unavoidable. We may have already passed the tipping point.
If we fail, our children's grandchildren will broil. Or drown. Or starve.
The clock is ticking.
Make a difference. Pick something that is most important to you.
Review your skills. Grow them. Join with others.
Get angry. Stay angry. Fight.
Fix the system so that it is robust in the face of intolerance, corruption and science denial.
Fight as if you can hear the childrens' screams.
Biden denied communion over abortion rights
Tell me again that religion isn't evil?
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/29/politics/joe-biden-denied-communion-south-carolina-catholic-church/index.html
Father Robert Morey, the pastor at Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Florence, told the Florence Morning News that he had denied Biden communion because "any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching."
If you don't like abortions, don't get one. But don't tell me (or my family) what they can do.
Question about G-7 summit at Doral
So Trump's corruption is just in-your-face now, not even trying to hide it ...
Trump has awarded next year’s G-7 summit of world leaders to his Miami-area resort, the White House said
The US has laws banning giving bribes. And before we turned into a 3rd-world dictatorship, they were actually enforced (at least when abuses were discovered).
My question: how many of the other G-7 countries would be prohibited by their own laws from attending the summit, given that they would be publicly giving money directly to Trump?
Cheap hydrogen?
I know I know ... yet another hopeful article on cheap energy. But this seems pretty cool to me.
Scientists extract hydrogen gas from oil and bitumen, giving potential pollution-free energy
News article on phys.org
...
The researchers have found that injecting oxygen into the fields raises the temperature and liberates H2, which can then be separated from other gases via specialist filters. Hydrogen is not pre-existing in the reservoirs, but pumping oxygen means that the reaction to form hydrogen can take place.
Of course the headline is awful (the production isn't pollution-free, you'll need a lot of oxygen), but it sounds like this might have potential. I just hope the oxygen they pump into the ground doesn't explode.
Andrew Romanoff running for Cory Gardner's seat!
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm really pleased to see this, I've been a fan of Romanoff for a long time!
“We’ve seen our planet plundered by an industry that puts its profits ahead of our survival,” Romanoff’s statement said. “And just as troubling, we’ve seen politicians do the bidding of billionaires, catering to their corporate benefactors while sticking the rest of us with the bill. I’m running to change that.”
Colorado Sun story: Democrat Andrew Romanoff announces run for Cory Gardner’s seat
His campaign site: Andrew Romanoff For Senate
Go Andrew!!
It's time to discuss banning cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin (et al) have been havens for speculators and criminals, and little else.
Given the massive risk, fraud, and unregulated nonsense that's going on, I'll assert it's time to seriously evaluate shutting them down.
Speaking at the Enigma security conference in Burlingame, California, last week, the researcher at UC Berkeley's International Computer Science Institute characterized bitcoin and its many follow-on digital currencies as energy-sucking leeches with no redeeming qualities. Their chief, if not only, function, he said, is to fund ransomware campaigns, online drug bazaars, and other criminal enterprises.
Meanwhile, Weaver said, there's no basis for the promises that cryptocurrencies' decentralized structure and blockchain basis will fundamentally transform commerce or economics. That means the sky-high valuations spawned by those false promises are completely unjustified. He also said investors' irrational exuberance just adds to the unviability of cryptocurrency.
More at Fire (and lots of it): Berkeley researcher on the only way to fix cryptocurrency
And this jaw-dropping story of $137 million basically disappearing because one person vanished (he died or absconded to India and faked his death):
The dramatic misstep was reported in a sworn affidavit that was obtained by CoinDesk. The affidavit was filed Thursday by Jennifer Robertson, widow of QuadrigaCX’s sole director and officer Gerry Cotten. Robertson testified that Cotten died of Crohn’s disease in India in December at the age of 30.
...
Robertson testified that Cotten stored the cold wallet on an encrypted laptop that only he could decrypt.
More at Digital exchange loses $137 million as founder takes passwords to the grave
Certainly fraud and mismanagement is nothing new, but that begs the cost/benefit question. Are cryptocurrencies worth trying to save?
Enough is enough. I for one am getting tired of extortion requests showing up daily in my inbox demanding payment in Bitcoin. If there was a good use for it, I'd write it off as a cost-of-doing-business. But ... there's no good reason for them!
Btw, my background: 45 years of Arpanet/Internet use and a masters in Computer Science. I'm not a Luddite just pissed at the technology.
The first question from every reporter to every public figure.
Every reporter in every interview, their first question should be if they are calling for the immediate impeachment and removal of our so-called President.There is no need to wait for the Mueller report. The numerous instances of criminality in plain sight are overwhelming. Nor is there a need to wait for more GOP senators to break from his cult. The tide will turn with enough people demanding his removal.
This one tweet is classic witness tampering and obstruction of justice and should be enough to impeach.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1086277705916502017
For the twitter blocked:
I've lost count of the number of impeachable acts he has obviously committed. There is no need to wait for Mueller when so much is in plain sight.
Congress needs to step up and do their job. And the press needs to point out that playing it safe and stalling (waiting for the Mueller report) is incredibly dangerous to us all.
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Name: JimGender: Male
Hometown: Frostbitefalls
Member since: Mon Apr 2, 2018, 08:44 PM
Number of posts: 1,846