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May 20, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52724062
A pizza for which he charged $24 (£20) was being advertised for $16 on DoorDash - and when he secretly ordered it himself, the app paid his restaurant the full $24 while charging him $16. He had not asked to be put on the app. He later found out it was part of a trial to gauge customer demand. Content strategist Ranjan Roy blogged about the anonymous restaurateur, who is his friend. Mr Roy said he first heard about the situation in March 2019, when his friend started receiving complaints about deliveries, even though his outlets did not deliver.
At that point , he discovered he had been added to DoorDash - and noticed it was charging a lower price for one of his premium pizzas. So he ordered 10 pizzas, paid $160 and had them delivered to a friend's house. The restaurant was then paid $240 for the order by DoorDash. The next time, the restaurant prepared his friend's order by boxing up the pizza base without any toppings, maximising the "profit" from the mismatched prices. "I was genuinely curious if DoorDash would catch on - but they didn't," wrote Mr Roy.
DoorDash did not respond to BBC News's request for comment. But Mr Roy said: "We found out afterward that was all the result of a 'demand test' by DoorDash. "They have a test period where they scrape the restaurant's website and don't charge any fees to anyone, so they can ideally go to the restaurant with positive order data to then get the restaurant signed on to the platform. "Third-party delivery platforms, as they've been built, just seem like the wrong model, but instead of testing, failing, and evolving, they've been subsidised into market dominance. "You have insanely large pools of capital creating an incredibly inefficient money-losing business model."
DoorDash is backed by investment giant Softbank, which this week posted a record-breaking loss of nearly $13bn. Defending the loss, chief executive Masayoshi Son reportedly compared himself to Jesus. The billionaire is said to have stated during a call with investors that Jesus was "also misunderstood". He later apologised.
snip
Man makes money buying his own pizza on DoorDash app
The owner of a pizza restaurant in the US has discovered the DoorDash delivery app has been selling his food cheaper than he does - while still paying him full price for orders.https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52724062
A pizza for which he charged $24 (£20) was being advertised for $16 on DoorDash - and when he secretly ordered it himself, the app paid his restaurant the full $24 while charging him $16. He had not asked to be put on the app. He later found out it was part of a trial to gauge customer demand. Content strategist Ranjan Roy blogged about the anonymous restaurateur, who is his friend. Mr Roy said he first heard about the situation in March 2019, when his friend started receiving complaints about deliveries, even though his outlets did not deliver.
At that point , he discovered he had been added to DoorDash - and noticed it was charging a lower price for one of his premium pizzas. So he ordered 10 pizzas, paid $160 and had them delivered to a friend's house. The restaurant was then paid $240 for the order by DoorDash. The next time, the restaurant prepared his friend's order by boxing up the pizza base without any toppings, maximising the "profit" from the mismatched prices. "I was genuinely curious if DoorDash would catch on - but they didn't," wrote Mr Roy.
DoorDash did not respond to BBC News's request for comment. But Mr Roy said: "We found out afterward that was all the result of a 'demand test' by DoorDash. "They have a test period where they scrape the restaurant's website and don't charge any fees to anyone, so they can ideally go to the restaurant with positive order data to then get the restaurant signed on to the platform. "Third-party delivery platforms, as they've been built, just seem like the wrong model, but instead of testing, failing, and evolving, they've been subsidised into market dominance. "You have insanely large pools of capital creating an incredibly inefficient money-losing business model."
DoorDash is backed by investment giant Softbank, which this week posted a record-breaking loss of nearly $13bn. Defending the loss, chief executive Masayoshi Son reportedly compared himself to Jesus. The billionaire is said to have stated during a call with investors that Jesus was "also misunderstood". He later apologised.
snip
May 20, 2020
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/no-argue-noam-chomsky-roger-waters-monia-mazigh-and-100-others-canada-does-not-deserve-un-security-council-seat/
As Canada vies for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council an open letter published Tuesday argues the Ottawa government—despite a more rosy reputation compared to its powerful U.S. neighbor—should be seen for what it more accurately is: a powerful international force in its own right that continues to play a negative role on the world stage when it comes to militarism and endless war, human rights abuses, environmental degradation both at home and abroad, and its outsized role in exacerbating the climate crisis. “The international community should not reward bad behaviour,” the signatories argue in the letter and an adjoining online petition.
https://twitter.com/KanahusFreedom/status/1262777429770158080
The signers of the letter—who include Harsha Walia, Noam Chomsky, Rogers Waters, Bianca Mugyenyi, Kanahus Manuel, Richard Falk, and over one hundred others—highlight Canada’s woeful silence and disregard when it comes to the abuse of the Palestinian people and the Israeli government’s most recent effort to annex the Occupied Territories of the West Bank. As highlighted Tuesday by Michael Lynk, associate professor of law at Western University and special rapporteur for the United Nations Human Rights Council on the situation in the Palestinian territory, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been noticeably absent even as countries like Ireland and Norway—which are also vying for the UNSC seat—have publicly spoken out against Israel’s efforts. Where is Canada on such an issue of grave international importance? “I argue that Canada is missing in action,” wrote Lynk. “No public statements against Israel’s annexation proposal have been issued. No planned accountability measures have been floated. No criticism, however mild, has been offered.”
The open letter, also backed by 20 organizations, makes a similar critique. “In the Middle East, Canada has sided with Israel on almost every issue of importance,” the letter states. “Since coming to power the Trudeau government has voted against more than fifty U.N. resolutions upholding Palestinian rights backed by the overwhelming majority of member states. The Canadian government has refused to abide by 2016 U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, calling on member states to ‘distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied in 1967.'” While Canada is competing against Norway and Ireland for the two-year temporary seat—and with a vote scheduled for June—Trudeau has argued the nation’s leadership will be vital in the years to come as the world continues to grapple with the Covid-19 fallout.
https://twitter.com/Bianca_Kabibi/status/1262762398433316864
But instead of upholding standards of international law and human rights, the letter contends that Ottawa and Trudeau have showed the opposite of leadership and accuses Canada of frequently echoing “Trump’s foreign policy” in the Western Hemisphere by backing “reactionary forces” in Latin America and defending Canadian mining companies despite allegations and evidence of fueling rights abuses and ecological damage in countries across the globe. For its disregard for the rights of First Nations and other Indigenous groups worldwide, the signers argue that Canada has failed to live up its promises both at home and abroad. With massive oil, gas, and mineral reserves—including the Alberta tar sands—those objecting to Canada’s seat say that refusing to “keep Canada’s dirty oil in the ground” while at the same time operating as one of the world’s largest per-capita emitters, should be disqualifying. “Despite its peaceful reputation, Canada is not acting as a benevolent player on the international stage,” the letter states.
snip
Noam Chomsky, Roger Waters, and 100+ others say Canada does not deserve UN Security Council Seat
“Despite its peaceful reputation, Canada is not acting as a benevolent player on the international stage,” warns open letter from activists, artists, and academics.https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/no-argue-noam-chomsky-roger-waters-monia-mazigh-and-100-others-canada-does-not-deserve-un-security-council-seat/
As Canada vies for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council an open letter published Tuesday argues the Ottawa government—despite a more rosy reputation compared to its powerful U.S. neighbor—should be seen for what it more accurately is: a powerful international force in its own right that continues to play a negative role on the world stage when it comes to militarism and endless war, human rights abuses, environmental degradation both at home and abroad, and its outsized role in exacerbating the climate crisis. “The international community should not reward bad behaviour,” the signatories argue in the letter and an adjoining online petition.
https://twitter.com/KanahusFreedom/status/1262777429770158080
The signers of the letter—who include Harsha Walia, Noam Chomsky, Rogers Waters, Bianca Mugyenyi, Kanahus Manuel, Richard Falk, and over one hundred others—highlight Canada’s woeful silence and disregard when it comes to the abuse of the Palestinian people and the Israeli government’s most recent effort to annex the Occupied Territories of the West Bank. As highlighted Tuesday by Michael Lynk, associate professor of law at Western University and special rapporteur for the United Nations Human Rights Council on the situation in the Palestinian territory, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been noticeably absent even as countries like Ireland and Norway—which are also vying for the UNSC seat—have publicly spoken out against Israel’s efforts. Where is Canada on such an issue of grave international importance? “I argue that Canada is missing in action,” wrote Lynk. “No public statements against Israel’s annexation proposal have been issued. No planned accountability measures have been floated. No criticism, however mild, has been offered.”
The open letter, also backed by 20 organizations, makes a similar critique. “In the Middle East, Canada has sided with Israel on almost every issue of importance,” the letter states. “Since coming to power the Trudeau government has voted against more than fifty U.N. resolutions upholding Palestinian rights backed by the overwhelming majority of member states. The Canadian government has refused to abide by 2016 U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, calling on member states to ‘distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied in 1967.'” While Canada is competing against Norway and Ireland for the two-year temporary seat—and with a vote scheduled for June—Trudeau has argued the nation’s leadership will be vital in the years to come as the world continues to grapple with the Covid-19 fallout.
https://twitter.com/Bianca_Kabibi/status/1262762398433316864
But instead of upholding standards of international law and human rights, the letter contends that Ottawa and Trudeau have showed the opposite of leadership and accuses Canada of frequently echoing “Trump’s foreign policy” in the Western Hemisphere by backing “reactionary forces” in Latin America and defending Canadian mining companies despite allegations and evidence of fueling rights abuses and ecological damage in countries across the globe. For its disregard for the rights of First Nations and other Indigenous groups worldwide, the signers argue that Canada has failed to live up its promises both at home and abroad. With massive oil, gas, and mineral reserves—including the Alberta tar sands—those objecting to Canada’s seat say that refusing to “keep Canada’s dirty oil in the ground” while at the same time operating as one of the world’s largest per-capita emitters, should be disqualifying. “Despite its peaceful reputation, Canada is not acting as a benevolent player on the international stage,” the letter states.
snip
May 20, 2020
59 members of the Senate voted in favor of my amendment to block warrantless government (failed by 1
Fifty-nine members of the Senate just voted in favor of my amendment to block warrantless government surveillance of Americans' browser history. It failed by just one vote. McConnell is that much closer to giving Bill Barr the green light to spy on Americans' private information.
Mitch McConnell is forcing a Senate vote on his amendment to give Bill Barr warrantless access to Americans’ browsing history. I’ve heard a lot of bad ideas in my lifetime, but this is one of the worst.
https://twitter.com/RonWyden/status/1260633816613507076
These are the Dems who voted against our privacy rights, and for helping give traitor Barr the green light for snooping, SMDH
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=2&vote=00089#position
NAYs
Carper (D-DE) <<< too often on the wrong side of these big votes when it deals with banking and the security/surveillance state (he voted to partially roll back Dodd-Frank as well)
Casey (D-PA)
Feinstein (D-CA) <<<<< arfff, and people wonder why I voted for Kevin de León in the primary and the general
Hassan (D-NH) <<< this is a little surprising
Jones (D-AL)
Kaine (D-VA)
Manchin (D-WV) <<< zero shock here
Shaheen (D-NH) <<< this is a little surprising
Warner (D-VA) <<< no shock here
Whitehouse (D-RI) <<< this is surprising
Not Voting
Murray (D-WA) <<< says she would have voted YEA, but she could not get there in time, grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Sanders (I-VT) <<<< SMDH, inexcusable
May 20, 2020
https://thebanter.substack.com/p/the-tara-reade-story-is-over
Exhaustive reporting on Tara Reade’s accusations of sexual assault against Joe Biden has uncovered a sad truth: Reade most likely made the story up and has been manipulating the media to gain attention for herself. Despite the highly public unraveling of Reade’s story, a contingent of leftist activists dedicated to toppling Joe Biden are continuing to promote the story insisting Reade’s allegations are true. Furthermore, they are claiming that the mainstream media and Democratic establishment are actively suppressing the story in order to aid Biden.
How Tara Reade’s story fell apart
We covered the Reade story last month in great detail, and reviewed what we deemed to be troubling aspects of her story that did not add up. Since then, Tara Reade has been interviewed by Megyn Kelly, changed yet more details about the alleged assault, and engaged in a furious Twitter campaign to derail Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Unfortunately for Reade, new evidence has also emerged that cast even more doubt on her story that make it almost impossible to take her seriously. From witness collaboration to a deeply troubling history of manipulation and deceit, Reade’s ever changing version of events doesn’t so much match reality, but her own troubled psyche. Here are the major developments that fundamentally undermine Reade’s version of events:
1. Reade was not originally “shut down” or “silenced” by media outlets
Reade has claimed the original harassment story broken by The Union on April 3rd 2019 later changed to sexual assault because she felt “shut down” and “silenced” by the media. It has now emerged that Reade shopped her original story around to multiple outlets and told them exactly the same thing. Notably, Vox’s Laura McGann spoke to Reade extensively in 2019 and was told explicitly that she was not sexually assaulted: Reade told me that she wanted me to think of this story as being about abuse of power, “but not sexual misconduct.” Her emphasis was on how she was treated in Biden’s office by Senate aides, who she said retaliated against her for complaining about how Biden touched her in meetings. Reade also told McGann to speak with a friend of hers “who counseled her through her time in Biden’s office in 1992 and 1993.”
The friend told McGann that: “it wasn’t that bad. [Biden] never tried to kiss her directly. He never went for one of those touches. It was one of those, ‘sorry you took it that way.’ I know that is very hard to explain.” Reade also self published the story on Medium on April 6th of 2019, so it is hard to see how anyone could have tried to censor her. McGann also firmly refutes the idea that she wanted Reade to omit any details that would incriminate Biden: That wasn’t the narrative I wanted. I wanted the truth. And I certainly had no qualms about the accusations being of sexual misconduct. Reporters at many outlets, including the reporters Reade spoke to, have not shied away from reporting on detailed sexual assault allegations. In the Me Too era, reporters have been aggressive in uncovering stories of powerful men who, for far too long, have abused and assaulted women with no consequences. In other words, Reid lied about being shut down and silenced by the media.
2. Reade retroactively edited a piece she wrote the same day she accused Biden of assault.......
snip
The Tara Reade Story Is Over
Tara Reade's accusation against Joe Biden simply isn't credible, and those pushing the story are going to end up ruining her.https://thebanter.substack.com/p/the-tara-reade-story-is-over
Exhaustive reporting on Tara Reade’s accusations of sexual assault against Joe Biden has uncovered a sad truth: Reade most likely made the story up and has been manipulating the media to gain attention for herself. Despite the highly public unraveling of Reade’s story, a contingent of leftist activists dedicated to toppling Joe Biden are continuing to promote the story insisting Reade’s allegations are true. Furthermore, they are claiming that the mainstream media and Democratic establishment are actively suppressing the story in order to aid Biden.
How Tara Reade’s story fell apart
We covered the Reade story last month in great detail, and reviewed what we deemed to be troubling aspects of her story that did not add up. Since then, Tara Reade has been interviewed by Megyn Kelly, changed yet more details about the alleged assault, and engaged in a furious Twitter campaign to derail Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Unfortunately for Reade, new evidence has also emerged that cast even more doubt on her story that make it almost impossible to take her seriously. From witness collaboration to a deeply troubling history of manipulation and deceit, Reade’s ever changing version of events doesn’t so much match reality, but her own troubled psyche. Here are the major developments that fundamentally undermine Reade’s version of events:
1. Reade was not originally “shut down” or “silenced” by media outlets
Reade has claimed the original harassment story broken by The Union on April 3rd 2019 later changed to sexual assault because she felt “shut down” and “silenced” by the media. It has now emerged that Reade shopped her original story around to multiple outlets and told them exactly the same thing. Notably, Vox’s Laura McGann spoke to Reade extensively in 2019 and was told explicitly that she was not sexually assaulted: Reade told me that she wanted me to think of this story as being about abuse of power, “but not sexual misconduct.” Her emphasis was on how she was treated in Biden’s office by Senate aides, who she said retaliated against her for complaining about how Biden touched her in meetings. Reade also told McGann to speak with a friend of hers “who counseled her through her time in Biden’s office in 1992 and 1993.”
The friend told McGann that: “it wasn’t that bad. [Biden] never tried to kiss her directly. He never went for one of those touches. It was one of those, ‘sorry you took it that way.’ I know that is very hard to explain.” Reade also self published the story on Medium on April 6th of 2019, so it is hard to see how anyone could have tried to censor her. McGann also firmly refutes the idea that she wanted Reade to omit any details that would incriminate Biden: That wasn’t the narrative I wanted. I wanted the truth. And I certainly had no qualms about the accusations being of sexual misconduct. Reporters at many outlets, including the reporters Reade spoke to, have not shied away from reporting on detailed sexual assault allegations. In the Me Too era, reporters have been aggressive in uncovering stories of powerful men who, for far too long, have abused and assaulted women with no consequences. In other words, Reid lied about being shut down and silenced by the media.
2. Reade retroactively edited a piece she wrote the same day she accused Biden of assault.......
snip
May 19, 2020
Extremists see the pandemic as the prelude to the apocalyptic “boogaloo”
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/05/17/americas-far-right-is-energised-by-covid-19-lockdowns
IN MORE THAN 30 of America’s 50 state capitals angry crowds have been gathering to protest against stay-at-home orders. Buoyed by tweets from President Donald Trump encouraging them to “liberate” their states, some even compare their elected officials to the Nazis. A few among them toting assault weapons are dressed incongruously in Hawaiian shirts. They might seem almost comical were it not for the fact that, in the fetid corners of the internet, such beachwear is recognised as the uniform of the extreme right. The extreme right is making good use of the pandemic. A fractious movement by nature, its followers have responded to covid-19 in many ways besides displays of brash shirts and guns. They have carried out Zoom-bombings (ie, interrupting video-conference meetings), encouraged others to infect police officers and Jews and sought to disrupt government activities, including New York City’s 311 line for non-emergency information and National Guard operations.
Some have even come perilously close to committing deadly acts of terrorism. In March a man with ties to neo-Nazi groups was killed in a shootout with FBI officers who were attempting to arrest him for planning to bomb a hospital in Missouri. Though he had been planning the attack for some time and had considered a variety of targets, the outbreak of covid-19 persuaded him to strike a hospital to gain extra publicity. The spreading of conspiracy theories is central to the extreme right’s activities. Some claim the virus is a hoax. Others blame the Chinese, the Jews or even Bill Gates. Some claim that the federal government is using the virus as a pretext to confiscate weapons and enforce “medical martial law”. Extremists also spread more familiar conspiracy theories, decrying 5G networks and vaccinations, which help introduce the uninitiated to their ideology.
Lockdowns fit this recruitment agenda. Stuck at home with money running short, people might become “more receptive to these movements”, warns Joshua Fisher-Birch, of the Counter-Extremism Project, an NGO. The far right is making use of online platforms such as Facebook, Gab and Telegram to spread its message to this captive audience. They use an ever-changing litany of memes, ranging from George Washington dressed as one of their ranks to Ronald McDonald with a machine gun on his lap. They also have a significant presence in the online gaming world, which helps them attract young recruits. A closer look at the far right’s beliefs helps explain why extremists have been energised by America’s new reality. Three related ideas—white supremacy, the “boogaloo” and “accelerationism”—are particularly suited to the coronavirus crisis. The most familiar of these is white supremacy. Its adherents exploit the virus’s geographical origins to drum up racial antipathy towards Chinese people. Anti-semites have been accusing Jews of deliberately spreading plagues ever since the Black Death, and covid-19 gives them a chance to reuse the template. The supremacists thus use fears about “white genocide” to argue for closed borders and eventually a white ethno-state. “Open borders is the virus,” declares one protest sticker placed on road signs.
Some white supremacists are also among those who style themselves as “Boogaloo Boys” or “Boojahdeen”. This refers to a belief in an imminent “boogaloo”: an armed insurrection against the American government, a race war, or both. The term is ultimately (and tortuously) derived from “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo”, a film about breakdancing, made in 1984, which was a near-copy of its precursor, “Breakin’”. Boogaloo boys style the forthcoming war as a repeat of the American civil war. The Hawaiian shirts that dot the crowds are a reference to “the big luau”, another name for the “boogaloo”, which celebrates pig (police) roasts. (A luau is a traditional Hawaiian feast.) Prolific practitioners of “memetic warfare” and fond of merchandising, the white supremacists’ primary objective is to recruit, especially among members of America’s armed forces. Their online forums are filled with information on how to 3D-print guns and make napalm. The “boogaloo boys” have repeatedly claimed that particular events will trigger their apocalyptic vision (a gun-rights rally in January, for example, was supposed to lead to mass confiscations by the state of Virginia, sparking civil war). But the social dislocation that has accompanied covid-19 lends a veneer of credibility to these fantasies; some extremists predict that “things will begin to implode” as early as the autumn. “Boog is coming boys. Get prepping,” declares one message in a far-right Telegram channel.
snip
A political virus: America's far right is energised by covid-19 lockdowns
Extremists see the pandemic as the prelude to the apocalyptic “boogaloo”
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/05/17/americas-far-right-is-energised-by-covid-19-lockdowns
IN MORE THAN 30 of America’s 50 state capitals angry crowds have been gathering to protest against stay-at-home orders. Buoyed by tweets from President Donald Trump encouraging them to “liberate” their states, some even compare their elected officials to the Nazis. A few among them toting assault weapons are dressed incongruously in Hawaiian shirts. They might seem almost comical were it not for the fact that, in the fetid corners of the internet, such beachwear is recognised as the uniform of the extreme right. The extreme right is making good use of the pandemic. A fractious movement by nature, its followers have responded to covid-19 in many ways besides displays of brash shirts and guns. They have carried out Zoom-bombings (ie, interrupting video-conference meetings), encouraged others to infect police officers and Jews and sought to disrupt government activities, including New York City’s 311 line for non-emergency information and National Guard operations.
Some have even come perilously close to committing deadly acts of terrorism. In March a man with ties to neo-Nazi groups was killed in a shootout with FBI officers who were attempting to arrest him for planning to bomb a hospital in Missouri. Though he had been planning the attack for some time and had considered a variety of targets, the outbreak of covid-19 persuaded him to strike a hospital to gain extra publicity. The spreading of conspiracy theories is central to the extreme right’s activities. Some claim the virus is a hoax. Others blame the Chinese, the Jews or even Bill Gates. Some claim that the federal government is using the virus as a pretext to confiscate weapons and enforce “medical martial law”. Extremists also spread more familiar conspiracy theories, decrying 5G networks and vaccinations, which help introduce the uninitiated to their ideology.
Lockdowns fit this recruitment agenda. Stuck at home with money running short, people might become “more receptive to these movements”, warns Joshua Fisher-Birch, of the Counter-Extremism Project, an NGO. The far right is making use of online platforms such as Facebook, Gab and Telegram to spread its message to this captive audience. They use an ever-changing litany of memes, ranging from George Washington dressed as one of their ranks to Ronald McDonald with a machine gun on his lap. They also have a significant presence in the online gaming world, which helps them attract young recruits. A closer look at the far right’s beliefs helps explain why extremists have been energised by America’s new reality. Three related ideas—white supremacy, the “boogaloo” and “accelerationism”—are particularly suited to the coronavirus crisis. The most familiar of these is white supremacy. Its adherents exploit the virus’s geographical origins to drum up racial antipathy towards Chinese people. Anti-semites have been accusing Jews of deliberately spreading plagues ever since the Black Death, and covid-19 gives them a chance to reuse the template. The supremacists thus use fears about “white genocide” to argue for closed borders and eventually a white ethno-state. “Open borders is the virus,” declares one protest sticker placed on road signs.
Some white supremacists are also among those who style themselves as “Boogaloo Boys” or “Boojahdeen”. This refers to a belief in an imminent “boogaloo”: an armed insurrection against the American government, a race war, or both. The term is ultimately (and tortuously) derived from “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo”, a film about breakdancing, made in 1984, which was a near-copy of its precursor, “Breakin’”. Boogaloo boys style the forthcoming war as a repeat of the American civil war. The Hawaiian shirts that dot the crowds are a reference to “the big luau”, another name for the “boogaloo”, which celebrates pig (police) roasts. (A luau is a traditional Hawaiian feast.) Prolific practitioners of “memetic warfare” and fond of merchandising, the white supremacists’ primary objective is to recruit, especially among members of America’s armed forces. Their online forums are filled with information on how to 3D-print guns and make napalm. The “boogaloo boys” have repeatedly claimed that particular events will trigger their apocalyptic vision (a gun-rights rally in January, for example, was supposed to lead to mass confiscations by the state of Virginia, sparking civil war). But the social dislocation that has accompanied covid-19 lends a veneer of credibility to these fantasies; some extremists predict that “things will begin to implode” as early as the autumn. “Boog is coming boys. Get prepping,” declares one message in a far-right Telegram channel.
snip
May 19, 2020
Really disappointed to see Laurie Garrett on Chris Hayes push false info about Sweden
She said that we had the highest death rate per million from COVID-19 in the world, then 'corrected' herself and said, well 2nd highest, behind Belgium. I guess she forgot about France, Italy, the UK, and Spain, (all FAR larger than us as well, plus the micro states of Andorra and San Marino.)
We also are very expansive with our 'death from COVID-19' attributions, Belgium is number one in transparency in the EU, we are number two (meaning our undercounts are very low as we use a broad definition.)
Also, our daily deaths today (a Monday, which is usually higher as backlogged cases and deaths from the weekend are started to be added in), was only 19. We shall see what they are the next 3 days.
Garrett was trying to make it sound like it was out of control, raging killing fields here, ffs. 
We tragically fucked up on our elderly care homes and scattered site elderly care (I have went into depth on this multiple times, the account for 50 to 70% of our deaths), but even there we are finally getting a handle on it.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
This is from Folkhälsomyndigheten, our state health agency:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/09f821667ce64bf7be6f9f87457ed9aa
Avlidna means deaths, dag means day
Notice than women get the virus to the point of illness here at a far higher degree than men, but men die at a far higher rate, especially when you adjusted for the ratio of women to men who are exposed and fall ill. Men end up in intensive care around 4 times the rate women do as well, when adjusted for the ratios of illness.
May 18, 2020
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/05/18/south-korean-football-club-apologises-using-sex-dolls-fill-seats/
South Korean football club FC Seoul have apologised after they used sex dolls instead of mannequins to fill seats during a K League match at their empty stadium on Sunday. Seoul's match against Gwangju was being played without spectators due to ongoing measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the dolls had been dressed in the club's uniform while others were holding placards supporting the team, but fans watching the match on television immediately took to social media to raise doubts about the inflatable spectators.
"Just look at their breasts, they were four times bigger than those of normal mannequins," one fan wrote on the club's official Instagram account. The club issued a statement on Monday saying the supplier had told them the dolls were not "adult products" but apologised for failing to check. "We wanted to bring some fun elements to the no-fans game and give the message that we can overcome this difficult period," it said.
"We had confirmed that the mannequins were made as if they were real but had nothing to do with adult products. "But the problem was we failed to make detailed checks, which is our fault without a doubt." The apology cut little ice with shocked fans. One fan wrote that it was "so obvious" they were sex dolls and that it had undermined FC Seoul's efforts "to show games for all the family".
The manufacturer of the dolls, Dalcom, was not available for comment. Calls seeking comment from the K League were unanswered. The incident will come as a setback for the K League, which is enjoying a profile like never before as one of the only top-flight soccer leagues active during the pandemic. Broadcasters from 10 countries, mostly in Asia and Europe, have bought rights for the season.
snip
FC Seoul apologise after using sex dolls to fill seats during behind-closed-doors game
The club issued a statement saying the supplier had told them the dolls were not "adult products" but apologised for failing to checkhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/05/18/south-korean-football-club-apologises-using-sex-dolls-fill-seats/
South Korean football club FC Seoul have apologised after they used sex dolls instead of mannequins to fill seats during a K League match at their empty stadium on Sunday. Seoul's match against Gwangju was being played without spectators due to ongoing measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the dolls had been dressed in the club's uniform while others were holding placards supporting the team, but fans watching the match on television immediately took to social media to raise doubts about the inflatable spectators.
"Just look at their breasts, they were four times bigger than those of normal mannequins," one fan wrote on the club's official Instagram account. The club issued a statement on Monday saying the supplier had told them the dolls were not "adult products" but apologised for failing to check. "We wanted to bring some fun elements to the no-fans game and give the message that we can overcome this difficult period," it said.
"We had confirmed that the mannequins were made as if they were real but had nothing to do with adult products. "But the problem was we failed to make detailed checks, which is our fault without a doubt." The apology cut little ice with shocked fans. One fan wrote that it was "so obvious" they were sex dolls and that it had undermined FC Seoul's efforts "to show games for all the family".
The manufacturer of the dolls, Dalcom, was not available for comment. Calls seeking comment from the K League were unanswered. The incident will come as a setback for the K League, which is enjoying a profile like never before as one of the only top-flight soccer leagues active during the pandemic. Broadcasters from 10 countries, mostly in Asia and Europe, have bought rights for the season.
snip
May 18, 2020
In a nightmare-scenario ‘Brexit’ denouement, the UK government provokes no-deal chaos from which it hopes to profit after its Covid-19 shambles.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/brexit-deaths-more-deaths-and-no-deal-calculations
For Boris Johnson the year that was supposed to be focused on ‘Brexit’ has turned into a year that’s focused on death. To be exact, 50,000 excess deaths and rising—the result of his government’s hubris and incompetence in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic. The UK’s response to the pandemic has been pilloried in the global media: the late lockdown, the shortages of personal protective equipment and testing kits, the unannounced strategy of protecting the hospital system by moving the epidemic into the eldercare-home system and, at time of writing, a confused and fragmentary attempt to ease the restrictions on work and movement.
Renewed prospect
But there is hope in sight for the prime minister, in the form of a clash with the European Union and the renewed prospect of a no-deal Brexit. At the official level, the UK still plans not only to leave the single market on December 31st but to trigger a no-deal scenario as early as June 30th—by which time any extension of the transition would have to be decided—if no outline agreement is reached at the EU-UK summit next month. Last week the government moved civil servants who had been dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak back into their jobs at the ‘Exit Operations’ unit and increased the tempo of preparations for a no-deal outcome.
Meawhile, at community level, the social constituencies which voted for Brexit have—until now—given Johnson the benefit of the doubt over his handling of the pandemic. While the left and sections of the media clamoured for a hard and early lockdown, the anecdotal reaction in Brexit-supporting communities was ‘Stop politicising things—support the government’. Now, as the trade unions resist Johnson’s attempt to reopen schools and public transport, the familiar lines of cultural warfare are re-emerging. The unions are ‘selfish’ and the opponents of the relaxation ‘wreckers’ who just want the economy to collapse—that’s been the subtext, or text, of right-wing tabloid-press coverage over the past week.
Discontented majority
But it’s not working. Support for Johnson’s handling of the epidemic peaked at 72 per cent at the end of March but has now fallen to 42 per cent. In a May 17th Yougov poll, for the first time, those discontented with the government’s performance overtook those contented, with the latter on 47 per cent. Crucially, this includes one in five of those who voted for Johnson—though the same demographics which split the UK over Brexit are still in evidence: all groups under 50 are disparaging of Johnson’s record, all groups over 50 supportive. This is the background to the reactivation of the no-deal scenario in the Brexit talks. The UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, accused Michel Barnier, representing the EU, of clinging to an ‘ideological’ position—that the UK must honour its commitments to a level playing-field on social and environmental issues, as an ex-member seeking to sustain favourable trade access. As in the autumn 2019 Brexit crisis, this move is calculated to raise the spectre of no deal to bounce the EU into a more favourable agreement, while reigniting the political polarisation which put Johnson in power.
snip
Brexit: deaths, more deaths ... and no-deal calculations
In a nightmare-scenario ‘Brexit’ denouement, the UK government provokes no-deal chaos from which it hopes to profit after its Covid-19 shambles.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/brexit-deaths-more-deaths-and-no-deal-calculations
For Boris Johnson the year that was supposed to be focused on ‘Brexit’ has turned into a year that’s focused on death. To be exact, 50,000 excess deaths and rising—the result of his government’s hubris and incompetence in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic. The UK’s response to the pandemic has been pilloried in the global media: the late lockdown, the shortages of personal protective equipment and testing kits, the unannounced strategy of protecting the hospital system by moving the epidemic into the eldercare-home system and, at time of writing, a confused and fragmentary attempt to ease the restrictions on work and movement.
Renewed prospect
But there is hope in sight for the prime minister, in the form of a clash with the European Union and the renewed prospect of a no-deal Brexit. At the official level, the UK still plans not only to leave the single market on December 31st but to trigger a no-deal scenario as early as June 30th—by which time any extension of the transition would have to be decided—if no outline agreement is reached at the EU-UK summit next month. Last week the government moved civil servants who had been dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak back into their jobs at the ‘Exit Operations’ unit and increased the tempo of preparations for a no-deal outcome.
Meawhile, at community level, the social constituencies which voted for Brexit have—until now—given Johnson the benefit of the doubt over his handling of the pandemic. While the left and sections of the media clamoured for a hard and early lockdown, the anecdotal reaction in Brexit-supporting communities was ‘Stop politicising things—support the government’. Now, as the trade unions resist Johnson’s attempt to reopen schools and public transport, the familiar lines of cultural warfare are re-emerging. The unions are ‘selfish’ and the opponents of the relaxation ‘wreckers’ who just want the economy to collapse—that’s been the subtext, or text, of right-wing tabloid-press coverage over the past week.
Discontented majority
But it’s not working. Support for Johnson’s handling of the epidemic peaked at 72 per cent at the end of March but has now fallen to 42 per cent. In a May 17th Yougov poll, for the first time, those discontented with the government’s performance overtook those contented, with the latter on 47 per cent. Crucially, this includes one in five of those who voted for Johnson—though the same demographics which split the UK over Brexit are still in evidence: all groups under 50 are disparaging of Johnson’s record, all groups over 50 supportive. This is the background to the reactivation of the no-deal scenario in the Brexit talks. The UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, accused Michel Barnier, representing the EU, of clinging to an ‘ideological’ position—that the UK must honour its commitments to a level playing-field on social and environmental issues, as an ex-member seeking to sustain favourable trade access. As in the autumn 2019 Brexit crisis, this move is calculated to raise the spectre of no deal to bounce the EU into a more favourable agreement, while reigniting the political polarisation which put Johnson in power.
snip
May 18, 2020
The Republicans have morphed into a pack of jackals who want to kill or enslave their self-defined
enemies, and will sacrifice their own to do it. They see it as war, and almost never give an inch, unless they sense a short, tactical retreat will further enable and ensure a long term setting up of their foe for a more thorough slaughter.
Democrats at present, for the most part, just want their opponents (some still refuse to look at them as enemies) to submit themselves, even if just a bit, to their 'better angels' and to behave in a more humane and somewhat rational fashion.
The 'they go low, we go high' crowd still thinks that an overwhelming victory can be had with little to no overall inherent risk. They see it as a philosophical dispute at its core, and are willing to make compromise an oft-employed default stance when faced with a countervailing force. Theses are the types who appeal to the 'innate, natural goodness' of Americans, as if the US has some sort of birthright and pre-ordained outcome to produce this sort of zeitgeist, pulled from some mythical aether, ginned up almost 250 years (oh what a short, short time that is!) ago, and carried on, borne like the Ark of the Covenant across innumerable Red Seas.
To think this is the height of folly, as the humans who make up the 331 million population of the nation are just as HUMAN as any other nation state's, and are just as fallible and susceptible, given a poisoned and ill-intended set of inputs, to produce the same atrocities as any other. I need not preach this to anyone of African descent back in the century plus long post-Civil War, pre Civil Rights American milieu, let along the entirety of the centuries starting in 1619 at Jamestown.
It is time to disenthrall ourselves of many notions that lead ultimately, despite some pussy-hat marchings, some fusses kicked up, and some cleverclogs social media rants, etc., to passive acceptance and an assured defeat that will end in blood and tears.
If not, long-wave history absolutely says the first group WILL eventually win, and unless the second group adopts some of the first group's precepts, and realises that it is indeed a war, and that the other side WILL kill you, then all the worst conceivable ruinous events shall occur, be it quickly or not, as surely as night follows day.
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