https://www.newsweek.com/list-who-donald-trump-has-pardoned-1993998

https://cornerstone.ghost.io/essentials-december-2-2024/

«the only wrong way to proceed is to give up.»

Good line.

https://weeklysift.com/2024/12/02/the-monday-morning-teaser-584/

«I started the week with the intention of reading and summarizing some of the many articles that have been appearing about how to resist the incoming Trump administration and its expected attacks on democracy. But in the last few days I’ve discovered something about myself: I still haven’t fully recovered from the profound disillusionment of the election. I still can’t find in myself the hard base of determination that a principled resistance requires, or even the fire of anger. I’m still processing my feelings of disappointment in my countrymen and sorrow for what my country will soon face. I hope to get past this phase soon, and do pass on a few resistance tips I’ve gleaned from the limited research I’ve done.

So I decided to write about that instead. The featured post “Resisting, eventually” should be out before 10 EST.»

Godspeed, Mr. and Mrs. Muder.

Buried in a story (such as it is) under a stupid NYT headline is this:

«But will a Republican-led Senate in a Trump-dominated capital really carry out its role as a moderating force for deliberation and temperance, for checks and balances? Is that even possible? As glorious as this sounds, it also feels more than a smidgen naïve in this age of polarization and political blood sport. Mr. Trump expects Republicans in the House and Senate to fulfill his wishes no matter the cost.»

Riiiight, the filibuster will work to moderate the president the same way the Electoral College works to keep a wholly unfit president from being elected. Courageous, right-thinking senators will apply the brakes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/02/opinion/donald-trump-senate.html?unlocked_article_code=1.eU4.DBiN.-y6zFrS6xeC_&smid=url-share (Should I even bother wasting a gift link on a story this fluffy?)

I thought of you, dear social media, when I read this quote from “A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?” by Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith –

“Staying alive on Earth requires fire and a pointy stick. Staying alive in space will require all sorts of high-tech gadgets we can barely manufacture on Earth.”

Start reading this book for free: https://a.co/2VFDa0v

(I’ve started a new book. Without, of course, finishing any of the others I’m reading.)

«consider an idea we call the “Necrosphere,” in contrast with the Biosphere. The Necrosphere is a built structure on Earth. Inside it, the ground is poison, there is no air, and cascades of radiation are fired at the inhabitants on a perpetual basis.

Why did we build it? In the sure knowledge that we can stick engineers inside who, due to the harsh environment combined with their need not to die, will spew forth valuable ideas like a spigot spews forth pressurized water. If this sort of thing seems implausible to you, you should ask yourself why anyone would expect a Mars base to generate all these supposed benefits. You should also ask yourself why it is that so many innovations on Earth come not from anarchic wastelands but from cities where an engineer’s main hardship is eight-dollar espressos.»

https://futurism.com/elon-musk-city-mars-death-catastrophe

Just blew some money on the Weinersmiths’ book, and searched it. Yes, it mentions chlorates. Je approve.

«The slogan also has made its way offline with boys chanting it in middle schools or men directing it at women on college campuses, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue report and social media reports. One mother said her daughter heard the phrase on her college campus three times, the report said.

School districts in Wisconsin and Minnesota have sent notices about the language to parents. T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase were pulled off Amazon.

Perez said she has seen men respond to shared Snapchat stories for their college class with “Your body, my choice.”»

https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-election-womens-rights-social-media-d5cea53480437ac8bf837aaa821e5681

I’m not generally a fan of the Chinese idea of “social capital”, but sometimes, it’s tempting.

https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2024/11/the-plot-to-nullify-the-14th-amendment

I just can’t WAIT for the US Supreme Court to declare that the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution is unconstitutional.

https://weeklysift.com/2024/11/25/early-signs/

«I’m guessing that neither Don Jr. nor the guy who originally posted this have ever done their own taxes. If they had, they would know that progressive tax rates add almost no complexity to the process, so making everybody pay the same rate would not simplify anything. What’s complicated is defining income. Once you’ve determined your taxable income, you just look up your tax on a table.

What makes defining income so tricky? Rich people like the Trumps who hire smart accountants to seek out every possible trick for hiding income. If everybody could be trusted to report their income fairly and accurately, the tax code could indeed be much shorter and simpler.

Bottom line: Flat taxes are not simpler. Period. All they do is shift the tax burden from the rich to everybody else.»

https://bsky.app/profile/pkrugman.bsky.social/post/3lbmo2fsgo22o

Via The Weekly Sift, which I recommend: https://weeklysift.com/2024/11/25/early-signs/