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On a lighter note, Ben Collins has put out a call for the best tweets ever, and people are obliging.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 11:01 AM on October 27, 2022

Deactivated my Twitter account today.

The problem is that reporters won’t delete their Twitter accounts. It will still drive the press agenda, and to the extent it becomes more of a cesspool, the whole news media landscape will be more of a cesspool.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 1:49 PM on October 27, 2022

Looks like the layoff number is 25%.

That's the first round.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:33 AM on November 1, 2022

Screw trying to put them in order, I'm just in awe of how many great songs they put out. And all of them bring me to that place, their place also the place in my life when they came out. Just amazing reading the titles stacked up like that.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:49 PM on October 24, 2022

The Stat headline is better:
In gold-standard trial, invitation to colonoscopy reduced cancer incidence but not death.

I suggest the headline of this FPP should be changed. The current headline is misleading, and problematic for anyone who doesn't click through and read the comments.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 9:42 AM on October 11, 2022

I have had two colonoscopies without sedation. I declined sedation because I didn't want to lose an entire day to grogginess and fog, I didn't want my wife to have to miss work, and I thought it would be interesting.

I highly recommend it, provided you have a reasonable tolerance for pain and discomfort. It's not a walk in the park. But it is fascinating to see what the inside of your colon looks like. It was not at all what I expected. It felt like I was in Fantastic… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 10:08 AM on October 12, 2022

Not to let Truss off the hook, but the USA is also playing a big role in the crisis. By pushing up USD interest rates, we force down the value of other currencies, and force them to raise their interest rates to keep, even if higher rates aren't what local conditions call for.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 4:58 AM on September 27, 2022

I just want to take a moment to rail against the conservatives for ruining the past 12 years

Don't forget to rail against Labour for failing to offer an alternative.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:34 AM on September 27, 2022

Question is, when will they face electoral consequences for such that amount to not just anger, but actual loss of control of the process?

That would require that there be an alternative. Anyone here holding out hope that Labour or the Lib Dems will pull it together?
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 10:08 AM on September 28, 2022

Who is Liz Truss’s Chief Economic Adviser, Matthew Sinclair? Can Okar explains.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 2:38 PM on September 29, 2022

Yes, exactly. It's important to remember that even as some high profile elements get rolled back, the overall destruction continues. It's the illusion of moderation.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 4:20 PM on October 3, 2022

This is so great.

When people say, "Raise your boys to be anti sexist," this is what they mean.

When people say, "Men have to take responsibility for violence against women," this is what they mean.

When people say, "We focus so much on how many women get raped. Lets focus on how many men are rapists," this is what they mean.

When people say, "Parents need to… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 9:41 AM on September 10, 2022

Dear Young Men
When I first read the story about the students who kept a written record of their teachers concerning behavior, I had no idea that they were from my local school district, All I could think of was how brave those students were for taking a stand against someone who was supposed to be a positive influence in their life…

When I was a student in [the same teacher’s] class, I felt helpless against his harassment and bullying… Hearing that the same… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 2:11 PM on September 29, 2022

Like Mark K, I was shocked that Kai Winn appeared in so few episodes. I would have guessed 30 or more, she was such a presence.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 11:16 AM on September 25, 2022

I love that she got the double rainbow portal to the other side. God has style, and knows how to show it.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 11:21 AM on September 8, 2022

I'm watching Umbrella Academy and I can't help wondering if this is some sort of plot to reassemble the Royal Family so they can save the world.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 11:44 AM on September 8, 2022

List of countries that have gained independence from the United Kingdom, with dates.

You could have a holiday pretty much every week of the year.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 8:35 AM on September 9, 2022

My sisters partner made a horse cake for the #queensfuneral and-
It belongs to the internet now.

posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:16 PM on September 20, 2022

I’m very excited to see this. Younger Proust is a big fan of sortition, which this is an example of.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 12:06 PM on September 18, 2022

Hoopoe hurray!
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 8:05 PM on September 14, 2022

Redstart, as of a few days ago they still did not accept Hoopoe.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 8:18 PM on September 14, 2022

Imagine being in a room where a group of highly-paid, well educated people with expertise in their fields decide that it is a good idea to spend tens of millions of dollars on.... whatever this is. People going on Starbucks Journeys and collecting imaginary collectibles that don't really exist to compete for prizes that no one wants.

Who thought this was a good idea? Or did they know it was a bad idea, but their boss had told them, "we need our NFT angle. Make it… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 3:21 PM on September 12, 2022

I think scorn is the operative emotion going on here. It's not worth expending rage over.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 10:28 AM on September 13, 2022

This just in: Starbucks announces new student loan repayment tools and a savings account program for all U.S. employees who are not union members.

Now we're talking rage.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 11:09 AM on September 13, 2022

Thank you, that was lovely.

It brought to mind The Man Who Planted Trees, by Jean Giono, narrated by Robert J. Lurtsema. It's a short, beautiful fable, one of my all time favorites. (Theres a free audiobook version with a different narrator, and of course the print version. But I haven't listened/read those so I can't speak to the experience.)
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 10:40 AM on September 11, 2022

It's nice that they took the time to run the word salad algorithm and provide an explanation for the layoffs. I'm sure staff will find it comforting to know the magazine is, "realigning key departments to help deepen engagement with...readers while also nurturing existing business models and developing new lines of revenue."
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 11:34 AM on September 8, 2022

I knew it was all over a few years ago when someone bought my kids a crappy National Geographic branded toy robot that sparked and died the first time we turned it on.

Counterpoint: I recently got a National Geographic rock tumbler from a Buy Nothing group. A year later when I got around to using it I realized I hadn't gotten the power adapter. I called the helpline printed in the manual and they sent me a new one for free. So maybe there's still hope.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 1:29 PM on September 8, 2022

Wow, I hadn't realized Disney owns FOX these days.

Not Fox News. The Murdochs kept that, but sold the other properties to Disney.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 1:55 PM on September 8, 2022

Whenever I start to get mad at Joe Manchin I try to remember that none of Joe Biden's cabinet appointments or judicial nominations would have been approved if he wasn't in the Senate. The Georgia Miracle wouldn't have been possible with Manchin sitting on the Democratic side of the aisle. Ketanji Brown Jackson would not be a Supreme Court Justice without Joe Manchin in the Senate. So yes, I hate the guy. And yes, a couple of weeks ago I was in a daydreaming despairingly about how much his… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 8:21 PM on July 27, 2022

Via the NYTimes:

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona and another holdout on her party’s domestic policy package, skipped the Democratic caucus meeting on Thursday and would not comment on the bill or indicate whether she planned to support it.

I think it's time to turn off all my news feeds for a couple of weeks.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 1:54 PM on July 28, 2022

We have no idea what Schumer traded for these magic beans.

But we do know. They traded accelerated permitting of infrastructure projects, including fossil fuel projects. That parts stinks. But, on balance, I'll take it because the bill overall starts walking us back from the brink.

All of the enviro pundits that I follow are also, on balance, very happy with they bill. They are clear that we need to do more. But they are also… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 2:09 PM on July 29, 2022

Yglesias doesn't advocate for inaction on climate change. In the quoted text, he says that other elements of the bill will be more appealing to many voters. That doesn't feel particularly controversial to me.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:01 PM on August 4, 2022

AKA the Sinema Carried Interest Preservation Act.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 7:07 AM on August 7, 2022

.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 7:47 AM on August 1, 2022

I agree that this is a best case scenario. The New York Times has great word games. The games are presented simply, with a focus on the words. Unlike the vast majority of games out there, the NYTimes games are crushed by video advertisements and constant upsells to buy 10 golden tokens to use for hints. It's a relief to know that Wordle has found a home where it's essential character will persist.

Will it be free forever? I don't know. But the vast majority of games… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 4:32 PM on January 31, 2022

Alternative scenarios:

1. Attempt to load up the Wordle page. Get a 404. Later read that the creator had a nervous breakdown and lost his job because of the stress and confusion caused by his 15 minutes of Internet fame. A thousand knockoff Wordles sprout up all over the Internet and in app stores, but they all suck the way cheap clones always suck, and some of them are actively malicious, draining people's bank accounts with a variety of scams.… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 7:31 PM on January 31, 2022

Mhum, yes, Flappy Bird is exactly what I was thinking of, but I couldn't remember the name. Thank you.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 11:21 AM on February 1, 2022

I've resisted playing even one game of Wordle because it's so addictive

One of the most loved qualities of Wordle is that it only displays one puzzle per day. Doing a puzzle takes a couple of minutes. You have to go out of your way to make it a time suck.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 10:34 AM on February 2, 2022

))))).....))))....)))...))..)..
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 4:04 PM on January 21, 2022

.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 12:26 PM on December 23, 2021

.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 8:05 PM on August 29, 2021

I'm fine with scientists looking into the origins of the virus, but as a practical matter, what fucking difference does it make?

and

Unless the virus was intentionally released or sent to other countries I don't feel like it matters to me whether it came from a lab or not.

It makes a huge difference in future regulation of the study of viruses and the safety standards used by labs… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:03 PM on May 26, 2021

NPR's morning edition had a piece on the Covid-19 origin question this morning. They framed the question as "lab leak" versus "zoonotic transmission". They did not mention the possibility of the virus being artificial; that wasn't part of the discussion.

The people they spoke with stated that going by history, zoonotic transmission is vastly more likely. But they said there are policy implications of the answer, in terms of regulation of labs, wet… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 7:34 AM on May 27, 2021

Perhaps stating the obvious, but the methods by which an intelligence service would investigate whether Covid-19 originated in a lab leak are completely different from the methods a group of scientists would use to investigate that question.

The intelligence investigation will focus on uncovering actions, documents, data, and events that the Chinese government has attempted to keep hidden. They'll do this by looking for sympathetic insiders, analyzing communications,… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 12:48 PM on May 28, 2021

If we had known in March 2020 that this was a lab leak it would have done zero to mitigate the covid-19 pandemic in any way.

Correct. The point is to learn from this event to prevent future similar events. If we had known in September 2019 that a previous lab leak of a virus had killed hundreds of thousands of people, then the covid-19 pandemic might not have happened at all, because of changes in lab management practices.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 7:47 PM on May 31, 2021

Someone needs to set up this video with Keystone Kops music. It is so 1920s slapstick.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 2:28 PM on May 27, 2021

We also lost Lois Ehlert, the illustrator of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Color Zoo, among many others.

Wishing you colorful heavens, Carl and Lois. You brought joy to so many through your work.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 8:37 PM on May 26, 2021

Yes, judging from his writing he's enjoying himself much too much to be dead.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:37 PM on April 12, 2021

Yes, it's old news but somehow word hasn't gotten around.

re: "pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back sayin what it was", someone just used that in a meeting I was in a couple of days ago, and was she was so pleased that someone got the reference.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 8:05 PM on April 12, 2021

When all musicians have stopped touring, it's less noticeable that a musician has stopped touring.
posted to MetaFilter by Winnie the Proust at 6:17 AM on April 13, 2021