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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
April 25, 2024
Label: Shelter Records – 11 662 AT
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: Germany
Released: Jan 1977
Genre: Rock, Blues
Style: Blues Rock
JJ Cale - Cocaine (Johnson Somerset remix)
Label: Shelter Records – 11 662 AT
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: Germany
Released: Jan 1977
Genre: Rock, Blues
Style: Blues Rock
April 24, 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/apr/23/caitlin-clark-nike-contract-signature-shoe-deal-indiana-fever
Caitlin Clark appears to be on the cusp of setting another record. The most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history and the No 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft will continue her association with Nike by signing a $28m contract that spans eight years and includes a signature shoe.
The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic reported the pending deal, citing unnamed people familiar with the negotiations between the sportswear giant and Clark’s agents. Excel Sports Management, which represents Clark, declined to comment. Nike did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
Clark’s initial name, image and likeness deal, signed in 2022, expired at the end of the 2023-24 season. The new deal would be the richest sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player. Under Armour and Adidas also participated in contract discussions with Clark’s team in February, according to the WSJ and Athletic. Puma also showed some interest but walked away when told the bidding would start at $3m per year, according to the WSJ.
Clark received offers of $16m over four years from Under Armour and $6m over four years from Adidas, with both including a signature shoe, according to the WSJ. Clark earned about $3m in NIL money at Iowa with deals she has had with State Farm, Gatorade and others, according to On3.com.
snip
Caitlin Clark set to ink record Nike deal valued at $28m over eight years
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/apr/23/caitlin-clark-nike-contract-signature-shoe-deal-indiana-fever
Caitlin Clark appears to be on the cusp of setting another record. The most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history and the No 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft will continue her association with Nike by signing a $28m contract that spans eight years and includes a signature shoe.
The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic reported the pending deal, citing unnamed people familiar with the negotiations between the sportswear giant and Clark’s agents. Excel Sports Management, which represents Clark, declined to comment. Nike did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
Clark’s initial name, image and likeness deal, signed in 2022, expired at the end of the 2023-24 season. The new deal would be the richest sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player. Under Armour and Adidas also participated in contract discussions with Clark’s team in February, according to the WSJ and Athletic. Puma also showed some interest but walked away when told the bidding would start at $3m per year, according to the WSJ.
Clark received offers of $16m over four years from Under Armour and $6m over four years from Adidas, with both including a signature shoe, according to the WSJ. Clark earned about $3m in NIL money at Iowa with deals she has had with State Farm, Gatorade and others, according to On3.com.
snip
April 24, 2024
Director: Page Buono
Website: Chemistry Shorts
Cracking Chirality: The Mystery of Mirror Molecules. Why do the building blocks of life possess a mysterious symmetry?
Director: Page Buono
Website: Chemistry Shorts
‘Chirality’ refers to a property of molecules that come in two distinct varieties – a ‘right-handed’ and ‘left-handed’ form. At first glance, this concept may seem like an esoteric bit of knowledge relevant only to lab chemists. However, the fact takes on a new meaning when you consider that, while chemical reactions tend to produce a 50:50 chiral mix of these molecules, the building blocks of life come in a single (or homochiral) form – and indeed must for life as we know it to operate. That’s all to say, at the core of the origin of life is a mystery of homochirality.
This film from the science documentary series Chemistry Shorts explores how the groundbreaking experiments of two Harvard University scientists, S Furkan Ozturk and Dimitar Sasselov, may have cracked the case of how the ‘prebiotic soup’ generated homochirality – and in doing so, made life possible. Balancing the chemical nitty-gritty of it all with the larger existential questions their work probes, the film makes for a riveting dive into a potential breakthrough on one of science’s most enduring mysteries.
This film from the science documentary series Chemistry Shorts explores how the groundbreaking experiments of two Harvard University scientists, S Furkan Ozturk and Dimitar Sasselov, may have cracked the case of how the ‘prebiotic soup’ generated homochirality – and in doing so, made life possible. Balancing the chemical nitty-gritty of it all with the larger existential questions their work probes, the film makes for a riveting dive into a potential breakthrough on one of science’s most enduring mysteries.
April 24, 2024
Photographer Jamie McGregor Smith has spent the last five years capturing brutalist and modernist churches across Europe. Here, he picks his 12 favourites from his Sacred Modernity book. With 139 photographs of 100 churches, McGregor Smith created the book to showcase the sculptural and unique forms of some of the churches built in the post-war period in countries including Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and the UK. Published by Hatje Cantz with essays by writers Jonathan Meades and Ivica Brnic, Sacred Modernity: The Holy Embrace of Modernist Architecture aims to bring attention to the unconventional buildings.
"Many are surprised to discover the thought-provoking nature of brutalist architecture and are drawn to its challenging and unconventional qualities," McGregor Smith told Dezeen. "In essence, the experience of encountering brutalist churches often involves a transformation from scepticism to appreciation, as individuals are confronted with the unique beauty and architectural innovation that these structures represent." McGregor Smith recalled that his work on the book began when he visited the brutalist Wotruba Church in Vienna, which sparked his interest in modernist church architecture. Since then, he has been driven to discover more churches like it.
"One of the driving forces behind my project was the realisation that many of these remarkable spaces were not fully appreciated within the architectural community and often remained unknown to their local populations," said McGregor Smith. "I felt a sense of excitement and purpose in rediscovering these hidden gems that so freely express creativity," he continued. "These architectural marvels evoke within me a profound sense of awe and curiosity, thanks to the architects' masterful use of form and light."
The churches in Sacred Modernity have sculptural concrete forms that break away from the mould of conventional churches, which typically have a floor plan in the shape of a cross. McGregor Smith claimed this was part of a trend after the second world war, which sought new styles separated from traditional architecture of the past. "While traditional churches evoke a sense of familiarity and reverence through their classic designs, brutalist and modernist churches challenge these norms with their bold, austere and provocative aesthetic," he said. "These architectural styles emerged in the post-war period as a rejection of the past's orthodoxy and a pursuit of a new social order free from associations with opulence, authority and war."
snip
The heavy hand of God: Sacred Modernity showcases "unique beauty and architectural innovation" of brutalist churches
https://www.dezeen.com/2024/04/24/sacred-modernity-brutalist-churches-book-jamie-mcgregor-smith/Photographer Jamie McGregor Smith has spent the last five years capturing brutalist and modernist churches across Europe. Here, he picks his 12 favourites from his Sacred Modernity book. With 139 photographs of 100 churches, McGregor Smith created the book to showcase the sculptural and unique forms of some of the churches built in the post-war period in countries including Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and the UK. Published by Hatje Cantz with essays by writers Jonathan Meades and Ivica Brnic, Sacred Modernity: The Holy Embrace of Modernist Architecture aims to bring attention to the unconventional buildings.
"Many are surprised to discover the thought-provoking nature of brutalist architecture and are drawn to its challenging and unconventional qualities," McGregor Smith told Dezeen. "In essence, the experience of encountering brutalist churches often involves a transformation from scepticism to appreciation, as individuals are confronted with the unique beauty and architectural innovation that these structures represent." McGregor Smith recalled that his work on the book began when he visited the brutalist Wotruba Church in Vienna, which sparked his interest in modernist church architecture. Since then, he has been driven to discover more churches like it.
"One of the driving forces behind my project was the realisation that many of these remarkable spaces were not fully appreciated within the architectural community and often remained unknown to their local populations," said McGregor Smith. "I felt a sense of excitement and purpose in rediscovering these hidden gems that so freely express creativity," he continued. "These architectural marvels evoke within me a profound sense of awe and curiosity, thanks to the architects' masterful use of form and light."
The churches in Sacred Modernity have sculptural concrete forms that break away from the mould of conventional churches, which typically have a floor plan in the shape of a cross. McGregor Smith claimed this was part of a trend after the second world war, which sought new styles separated from traditional architecture of the past. "While traditional churches evoke a sense of familiarity and reverence through their classic designs, brutalist and modernist churches challenge these norms with their bold, austere and provocative aesthetic," he said. "These architectural styles emerged in the post-war period as a rejection of the past's orthodoxy and a pursuit of a new social order free from associations with opulence, authority and war."
snip
April 23, 2024
Letter from 25 senators including Mitch McConnell says president ‘must act immediately to restore order’ on university campuses
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/23/university-protests-arrests-yale-nyu-columbia
Pro-Palestinian students and activists face police officers as they protest the Israel-Hamas war on the campus of New York University on 22 April 2024. Photograph: Alex Kent/AFP/Getty Images
Senior Republican US senators on Tuesday waded into growing tensions at leading universities over the Israel-Gaza war, demanding the Biden administration send in federal law enforcement officers to curb pro-Palestinian protests that have led to hundreds of arrests. The Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, and his deputy, John Thune, wrote to the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, and the education secretary, Miguel Cardona, with strong language calling demonstrators “anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist mobs”.
Police had arrested about 150 protesters at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale and New York University on Monday night, while Columbia University announced that classes would be taught remotely for the rest of the semester, as anger boiled over following more than 100 arrests there last week. Some university leaders, most notably at Columbia, are facing calls for resignation this week and fierce criticism – from those outraged at the protests and those outraged at the crackdown on the protests.
On Tuesday afternoon, 25 Republican senators led by McConnell wrote: “The Department of Education and federal law enforcement must act immediately to restore order, prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated [sic] violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have taken part in promoting terrorism, and hold accountable school administrators who have stood by instead of protecting their students.” The Missouri senator Josh Hawley and Arkansas senator Tom Cotton on Monday had called for Joe Biden to send national guard troops on to campus.
On the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, authorities arrested at least 47 protesters on Monday evening, the university said in a statement. Students who were arrested will be referred for disciplinary action. Several hundred people had been protesting at Yale, including hunger strikers, demanding the university divest from military weapons manufacturers and other companies with ties to Israel. And in downtown Manhattan, police clashed with protesters at New York University. There were reports of officers using pepper spray as demonstrators tried to block a police bus from leaving the scene with detained students, and more than 100 people were arrested.
snip
Student Gaza protests: top Republicans call on Biden to send in federal officers
Letter from 25 senators including Mitch McConnell says president ‘must act immediately to restore order’ on university campuses
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/23/university-protests-arrests-yale-nyu-columbia
Pro-Palestinian students and activists face police officers as they protest the Israel-Hamas war on the campus of New York University on 22 April 2024. Photograph: Alex Kent/AFP/Getty Images
Senior Republican US senators on Tuesday waded into growing tensions at leading universities over the Israel-Gaza war, demanding the Biden administration send in federal law enforcement officers to curb pro-Palestinian protests that have led to hundreds of arrests. The Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, and his deputy, John Thune, wrote to the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, and the education secretary, Miguel Cardona, with strong language calling demonstrators “anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist mobs”.
Police had arrested about 150 protesters at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale and New York University on Monday night, while Columbia University announced that classes would be taught remotely for the rest of the semester, as anger boiled over following more than 100 arrests there last week. Some university leaders, most notably at Columbia, are facing calls for resignation this week and fierce criticism – from those outraged at the protests and those outraged at the crackdown on the protests.
On Tuesday afternoon, 25 Republican senators led by McConnell wrote: “The Department of Education and federal law enforcement must act immediately to restore order, prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated [sic] violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have taken part in promoting terrorism, and hold accountable school administrators who have stood by instead of protecting their students.” The Missouri senator Josh Hawley and Arkansas senator Tom Cotton on Monday had called for Joe Biden to send national guard troops on to campus.
On the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, authorities arrested at least 47 protesters on Monday evening, the university said in a statement. Students who were arrested will be referred for disciplinary action. Several hundred people had been protesting at Yale, including hunger strikers, demanding the university divest from military weapons manufacturers and other companies with ties to Israel. And in downtown Manhattan, police clashed with protesters at New York University. There were reports of officers using pepper spray as demonstrators tried to block a police bus from leaving the scene with detained students, and more than 100 people were arrested.
snip
April 23, 2024
International attention is on Gaza – but attacks by Israelis who live on Palestinian land have been increasing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/22/israel-settlers-violence-against-palestine-west-bank
While international attention has been turned toward Gaza, violence against Palestinians has increased in the West Bank too. Israeli settler attacks have become more frequent. Settlers are Israeli citizens who live on Palestinian land. In most cases, this happens because Palestinians are prevented from accessing their land and are physically attacked by settlers. In a third of cases, Palestinian property is damaged by settlers. These findings come from a UN report published in September 2023 that showed a years-long rise in settler violence against Palestinians. Because of these numbers, the UN has noted that “settler-driven displacement did not start with Hamas’s deadly attack”.
snip
The Israeli government routinely acknowledges these colonies as part of the Israeli state despite the fact that they are illegal under international law. For decades, the United States has publicly condemned settlements while continuing to provide billions of dollars to Israel. But this longstanding policy was reversed by the Trump administration in November 2019 when it stated that it didn’t consider settlements to be a violation of international law “per se”. In fact, article 49 of the fourth Geneva convention prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
Biden’s administration had been relatively quiet on this point until tensions with Israel rose in February and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, stated: “New settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace.” Blinken, who was responding to a reporter’s question about Israeli plans to build 3,300 new homes in West Bank settlements, added: “They’re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion and in our judgment this only weakens, it doesn’t strengthen, Israel’s security.” Settlements have been one of the main sticking points in peace negotiations, since the rapid growth of these outposts could in effect eliminate hopes for a Palestinian state. About 40% of the West Bank is currently under the control of settlements. The numbers displayed here are incomplete. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which collects this data, notes that “cases of harassment, trespass, and intimidation are not included in these statistics when they do not result in damage or casualties, although they too increase the pressure on Palestinians to leave”. Settler violence is unlikely to slow down. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, leads a coalition government that includes several religious Zionist parties that support further annexation of the West Bank. The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has found that “as a rule, the military prefers to remove Palestinians from their own farmland or pastureland rather than confront settlers”.
This has also been the case in recent months, when Israeli forces have accompanied or supported settler attacks in almost half of all incidents, according to the UN. In over a third of the incidents reported since October, settlers threatened Palestinians with firearms, including by opening fire. The thousands of Palestinians who have been forced from their homes have little recourse to justice. In four out of every five cases, Israeli police failed in the investigation of Israelis who harmed Palestinians and their property. This finding comes from Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group that has investigated the way Israeli law enforcement treats these settler attacks. It found that between 2005 and 2021, just 3% of ideologically motivated cases resulted in a conviction. Demolition is also a key part of settlement. Israeli authorities regularly destroy and confiscate Palestinian-owned property. They also prohibit construction by Palestinians while issuing permits to Israelis. About 24,300 housing units for Israeli settlements in the West Bank were advanced last year. In March 2024, after plans to build a further 3,476 settler homes were announced, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, condemned the move, stating that the constructions “fly in the face of international law”.
Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank - visualized
International attention is on Gaza – but attacks by Israelis who live on Palestinian land have been increasing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/22/israel-settlers-violence-against-palestine-west-bank
While international attention has been turned toward Gaza, violence against Palestinians has increased in the West Bank too. Israeli settler attacks have become more frequent. Settlers are Israeli citizens who live on Palestinian land. In most cases, this happens because Palestinians are prevented from accessing their land and are physically attacked by settlers. In a third of cases, Palestinian property is damaged by settlers. These findings come from a UN report published in September 2023 that showed a years-long rise in settler violence against Palestinians. Because of these numbers, the UN has noted that “settler-driven displacement did not start with Hamas’s deadly attack”.
snip
The Israeli government routinely acknowledges these colonies as part of the Israeli state despite the fact that they are illegal under international law. For decades, the United States has publicly condemned settlements while continuing to provide billions of dollars to Israel. But this longstanding policy was reversed by the Trump administration in November 2019 when it stated that it didn’t consider settlements to be a violation of international law “per se”. In fact, article 49 of the fourth Geneva convention prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
Biden’s administration had been relatively quiet on this point until tensions with Israel rose in February and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, stated: “New settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace.” Blinken, who was responding to a reporter’s question about Israeli plans to build 3,300 new homes in West Bank settlements, added: “They’re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion and in our judgment this only weakens, it doesn’t strengthen, Israel’s security.” Settlements have been one of the main sticking points in peace negotiations, since the rapid growth of these outposts could in effect eliminate hopes for a Palestinian state. About 40% of the West Bank is currently under the control of settlements. The numbers displayed here are incomplete. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which collects this data, notes that “cases of harassment, trespass, and intimidation are not included in these statistics when they do not result in damage or casualties, although they too increase the pressure on Palestinians to leave”. Settler violence is unlikely to slow down. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, leads a coalition government that includes several religious Zionist parties that support further annexation of the West Bank. The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has found that “as a rule, the military prefers to remove Palestinians from their own farmland or pastureland rather than confront settlers”.
This has also been the case in recent months, when Israeli forces have accompanied or supported settler attacks in almost half of all incidents, according to the UN. In over a third of the incidents reported since October, settlers threatened Palestinians with firearms, including by opening fire. The thousands of Palestinians who have been forced from their homes have little recourse to justice. In four out of every five cases, Israeli police failed in the investigation of Israelis who harmed Palestinians and their property. This finding comes from Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group that has investigated the way Israeli law enforcement treats these settler attacks. It found that between 2005 and 2021, just 3% of ideologically motivated cases resulted in a conviction. Demolition is also a key part of settlement. Israeli authorities regularly destroy and confiscate Palestinian-owned property. They also prohibit construction by Palestinians while issuing permits to Israelis. About 24,300 housing units for Israeli settlements in the West Bank were advanced last year. In March 2024, after plans to build a further 3,476 settler homes were announced, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, condemned the move, stating that the constructions “fly in the face of international law”.
April 23, 2024
A friendly reminder: only 15% of Biden supporters said Israel is NOT committing genocide against Palestinian civilians
in a fairly recent YouGov poll.
H/T to DUer TheProle: 
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18857428
Q: Do you think that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians?
Biden Supporters:
57% Yes
15% No
27% Not Sure
https://twitter.com/KatieAnnieOakly/status/1778494941821554702
April 23, 2024
The probable switch from El Niño to La Niña increases the risk of a hot summer and possibly the hottest on record
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/04/22/summer-forecast-united-states-hot/
https://archive.ph/Ew9pX
A new outlook for summer from the National Weather Service is a toasty one: Hotter-than-normal conditions are favored almost everywhere, except for a small portion of the northern Plains. The highest odds for a hot summer stretch from Texas into the Pacific Northwest, as well as much of the Northeast. This forecast sets the stage for bouts of record-challenging high temperatures throughout the nation and the possibility of the hottest summer ever observed. In the central states and Rocky Mountains, the combination of heat and an expectation for drier-than-normal weather will increase drought potential. It will also raise the fire threat in some areas.
Weather Service officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday stressed the importance of preparation for the heat as they unveiled a heat forecast guide that will be used across the United States for the first time this year. Already used for years in the West, the HeatRisk forecast will use a color-coded scale to describe the health risks expected from heat waves over the coming seven days. “It’s giving us knowledge we can use to take steps to protect our health if we need to,” said Aaron Bernstein, director of the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health. “We’ll be able to know how hot is too hot for health.”
The hot summer forecast is linked to the probable switch from the El Niño to La Niña climate pattern by the summer’s second half. While La Niña has a small cooling effect on the planet overall, it has boosted summer heat in the United States, especially in recent years when human-caused climate change has also fueled higher temperatures. The three La Niña summers from 2020 to 2022 were all historically hot. The nation’s summer average temperature of 74 degrees in 2021 was tied for the hottest on record; 2022 and 2020 marked the third- and sixth-hottest summers, respectively.
“A common feature in summer during a developing La Niña is a semi-permanent upper-level ridge over the middle of North America,” wrote DTN, a forecasting company based in Minneapolis. “Ridges are notorious for hot and dry conditions.” These ridges, referred to as heat domes, are common in summer but tend to be most persistent during La Niña. A hot summer often goes hand in hand with drought, as high temperatures increase evaporation, which strips moisture from the land surface. The driest weather compared to normal is expected to stretch from western Texas into the northern Rockies. The Weather Service predicts drought will persist or develop in much of this region.
snip
Why this summer may be especially hot in the United States
The probable switch from El Niño to La Niña increases the risk of a hot summer and possibly the hottest on record
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/04/22/summer-forecast-united-states-hot/
https://archive.ph/Ew9pX
A new outlook for summer from the National Weather Service is a toasty one: Hotter-than-normal conditions are favored almost everywhere, except for a small portion of the northern Plains. The highest odds for a hot summer stretch from Texas into the Pacific Northwest, as well as much of the Northeast. This forecast sets the stage for bouts of record-challenging high temperatures throughout the nation and the possibility of the hottest summer ever observed. In the central states and Rocky Mountains, the combination of heat and an expectation for drier-than-normal weather will increase drought potential. It will also raise the fire threat in some areas.
Weather Service officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday stressed the importance of preparation for the heat as they unveiled a heat forecast guide that will be used across the United States for the first time this year. Already used for years in the West, the HeatRisk forecast will use a color-coded scale to describe the health risks expected from heat waves over the coming seven days. “It’s giving us knowledge we can use to take steps to protect our health if we need to,” said Aaron Bernstein, director of the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health. “We’ll be able to know how hot is too hot for health.”
The hot summer forecast is linked to the probable switch from the El Niño to La Niña climate pattern by the summer’s second half. While La Niña has a small cooling effect on the planet overall, it has boosted summer heat in the United States, especially in recent years when human-caused climate change has also fueled higher temperatures. The three La Niña summers from 2020 to 2022 were all historically hot. The nation’s summer average temperature of 74 degrees in 2021 was tied for the hottest on record; 2022 and 2020 marked the third- and sixth-hottest summers, respectively.
“A common feature in summer during a developing La Niña is a semi-permanent upper-level ridge over the middle of North America,” wrote DTN, a forecasting company based in Minneapolis. “Ridges are notorious for hot and dry conditions.” These ridges, referred to as heat domes, are common in summer but tend to be most persistent during La Niña. A hot summer often goes hand in hand with drought, as high temperatures increase evaporation, which strips moisture from the land surface. The driest weather compared to normal is expected to stretch from western Texas into the northern Rockies. The Weather Service predicts drought will persist or develop in much of this region.
snip
April 23, 2024
Some employees protested the tech giant’s contract with the Israeli government. They’ve been let go.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/22/google-nimbus-israel-protest-fired-workers/
https://archive.ph/JMLE8
SAN FRANCISCO — Google fired about 20 more workers it said participated in protests denouncing the company’s cloud computing deal with the Israeli government, bringing the total number of workers fired in the past week over the issue to more than 50, according to the activist group representing the workers. A spokesperson for Google confirmed it had fired more workers after continuing its investigation into the April 16 protests, which included sit-ins at Google’s offices in New York City and Sunnyvale, Calif.
The firings come several days after chief executive Sundar Pichai told employees in a companywide memo that they should not use the company as a “personal platform” or “fight over disruptive issues or debate politics.” “The corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers and reassert its power over them,” said Jane Chung, a spokesperson for No Tech for Apartheid, a group that has protested Google’s and Amazon’s contracts with the Israeli government since 2021.
The protests at Google are among a wave of opposition to the U.S. government and corporations working with the Israeli government and military. Pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested in recent days at Yale and Columbia universities, spurring accusations of heavy-handedness by university officials and inspiring another wave of demonstrations at other colleges around the country. The day before the Google sit-ins, activists blocked highways, bridges and airport entrances across the United States to protest the war in Gaza.
At Google, the situation has become a public fight between Google managers and the fired employees. Google says that each worker it fired actively disrupted its offices, while the workers dispute the claims, saying some of those fired did not even enter the company’s office on the day of coordinated demonstrations against the company. Google has fired workers in the past who publicly criticized the company, but it has not fired this many people at once. For years, Google had a reputation as the most free and open among the Big Tech companies in terms of office culture and collaboration. The company celebrated an internal culture in which employees knew what other teams were working on and were encouraged to question the decisions of leaders.
snip
Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn't for politics
Some employees protested the tech giant’s contract with the Israeli government. They’ve been let go.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/22/google-nimbus-israel-protest-fired-workers/
https://archive.ph/JMLE8
SAN FRANCISCO — Google fired about 20 more workers it said participated in protests denouncing the company’s cloud computing deal with the Israeli government, bringing the total number of workers fired in the past week over the issue to more than 50, according to the activist group representing the workers. A spokesperson for Google confirmed it had fired more workers after continuing its investigation into the April 16 protests, which included sit-ins at Google’s offices in New York City and Sunnyvale, Calif.
The firings come several days after chief executive Sundar Pichai told employees in a companywide memo that they should not use the company as a “personal platform” or “fight over disruptive issues or debate politics.” “The corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers and reassert its power over them,” said Jane Chung, a spokesperson for No Tech for Apartheid, a group that has protested Google’s and Amazon’s contracts with the Israeli government since 2021.
The protests at Google are among a wave of opposition to the U.S. government and corporations working with the Israeli government and military. Pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested in recent days at Yale and Columbia universities, spurring accusations of heavy-handedness by university officials and inspiring another wave of demonstrations at other colleges around the country. The day before the Google sit-ins, activists blocked highways, bridges and airport entrances across the United States to protest the war in Gaza.
At Google, the situation has become a public fight between Google managers and the fired employees. Google says that each worker it fired actively disrupted its offices, while the workers dispute the claims, saying some of those fired did not even enter the company’s office on the day of coordinated demonstrations against the company. Google has fired workers in the past who publicly criticized the company, but it has not fired this many people at once. For years, Google had a reputation as the most free and open among the Big Tech companies in terms of office culture and collaboration. The company celebrated an internal culture in which employees knew what other teams were working on and were encouraged to question the decisions of leaders.
snip
April 23, 2024
Label: Local Anesthetic Records – none
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: Goth Rock, Punk, Deathrock, Post-Punk
Formed in Denver, Colorado around 1981, Your Funeral released one 45rpm 7" single. The initial lineup featured Jeri Cain Rossi (later of Black Cat Bone) on vocals, Karen Sheridan (later of Corpses as Bedmates) on bass, and Cleo Tilde on percussion. This lineup released the 7" single "I Want To Be You", with Rossi's vocals and classic early-80s gothic/deathrock sounding guitars and production. It was released on Local Anesthetic Records (the name of the band's label) and distributed by Wax Trax, before Wax Trax moved onto Chicago, IL and far greater fame.
Your Funeral - I Wanna Be You (ft. video from A Clockwork Orange)
Label: Local Anesthetic Records – none
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: Goth Rock, Punk, Deathrock, Post-Punk
Formed in Denver, Colorado around 1981, Your Funeral released one 45rpm 7" single. The initial lineup featured Jeri Cain Rossi (later of Black Cat Bone) on vocals, Karen Sheridan (later of Corpses as Bedmates) on bass, and Cleo Tilde on percussion. This lineup released the 7" single "I Want To Be You", with Rossi's vocals and classic early-80s gothic/deathrock sounding guitars and production. It was released on Local Anesthetic Records (the name of the band's label) and distributed by Wax Trax, before Wax Trax moved onto Chicago, IL and far greater fame.
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: London
Home country: US/UK/Sweden
Current location: Stockholm, Sweden
Member since: Sun Jul 1, 2018, 07:25 PM
Number of posts: 43,328