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By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Readers, I’m touring at the moment. This Water Cooler is a bit mild, as a result of I’m posting it in a window of connectivity. –lambert
Chicken Tune of the Day
Sadly, Cornell Ornithology Lab is having a deliberate outage. No chook tune at the moment. –lambert
“Birding for Lengthy-Haulers” [Ed Yong, The Ed’s Up]. My favourite birding moments usually contain stillness. I stand in entrance of a single tree, watching a conveyor belt of warblers passing by. I sit at a shoreline, scanning by means of giant teams of foraging shorebirds. I lean towards my automobile at evening, listening for owls within the darkness. At these occasions, with my physique rooted and my senses totally engaged, I really feel a peculiar mix of serenity and adrenaline, of presentism and disconnection. And through one such second, I believed: This could be excellent for individuals with lengthy COVID… I began questioning if I may share the pastime that has turn out to be so restorative to me with the group that has turn out to be so necessary to me. Birding may increase the world that lengthy COVID has contracted. It may provide long-haulers the therapeutic advantages of being open air and immersing in nature. It may salve a few of the solitude that power sickness brings, providing social time in an outside setting with low threat of respiratory an infection. It may be finished with comparatively low bodily or cognitive calls for, minimizing the probabilities of triggering a PEM crash.” • A really hopeful submit!
In Case You Would possibly Miss…
(1) Boeing story isn’t precisely advancing….
(2) World elites type mind genius membership.
(3) The science and artwork of rooster sexing.
Politics
“So most of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are the truth is a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
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Capitol Seizure
“Newly obtained video exhibits motion of group suspected of establishing Jan. 6 gallows hours earlier than Capitol siege” [CBS]. “Newly obtained [how and from whom?] video exhibits motion of group suspected of establishing Jan. 6 gallows hours earlier than Capitol siege. The individuals who erected the notorious gallows and noose on the west entrance of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, started their work within the predawn hours that day, in response to newly launched movies obtained [how and from whom?] by CBS Information… Surveillance footage shared [by whom?] with CBS Information exhibits the brazenness of the work behind the gallows and noose.” • Whoever “shared” the movies to CBS was just a little gradual transferring, sure?
2024
Lower than a yr to go!
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Trump (R): “‘Arbitrary Enforcement’ of Federal Legislation Roils Categorised Paperwork Case” [Julie Kelly]. Jack Smith’s Florida case. “[Judge Aileen] Cannon repeatedly requested either side for examples of prison prosecution for ‘different officers who did the identical.’ She questioned the ‘arbitrary enforcement’ of the espionage statute, forcing the federal government to confess that no different former president or vp has confronted prison prosecution for preserving comparable paperwork and failing to return them. ‘This speaks to the arbitrary enforcement…that includes on this case,’ Cannon informed Bratt. Cannon additionally pushed again on claims Trump ought to have anticipated to face prosecution for storing categorised information. As soon as once more noting no former president or vp—Mike Pence additionally found categorised information after Trump was indicted in 2023—has been charged, Cannon advised it was honest for Trump to count on the identical remedy since ‘no historic precedent’ is on the books. ‘On condition that panorama,’ Cannon continued, Trump may argue he has been unfairly focused. Which his staff already has. In a movement emailed to the courtroom and the federal government final month, Trump’s attorneys requested to dismiss the case primarily based on ‘selective and vindictive prosecution.‘ Though the movement just isn’t public, Jack Smith shortly responded to defend the Division of Justice’s option to pursue Trump and never Biden. ‘Trump, in contrast to Biden, is alleged to have engaged in in depth and repeated efforts to impede justice and thwart the return of paperwork bearing classification markings, which offers notably sturdy proof of willfulness and is a paradigmatic aggravating issue that prosecutors routinely depend on when making charging selections,’ Smith wrote in a March 7 response. ‘Second, the proof in regards to the two males’s intent—whether or not they knowingly possessed and willfully retained such paperwork—is starkly completely different.’ In an virtually comical passage, Smith admits Biden unlawfully retained categorised information—simply not as many as Trump. ‘Biden possessed 88 paperwork bearing classification markings, together with 18 marked High Secret. Against this, Trump possessed 337 paperwork bearing classification markings, together with 64 marked High Secret. Ah okay. So Biden was just a bit bit pregnant…” • I’m unsure that “selective and vindictive prosecution” flies as a matter of regulation. As a matter of politics? I feel so.
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Biden (D): “Biden seeks to reinvigorate various coalition in vital 2024 marketing campaign swing out West” [CNN]. “Arizona and Nevada may see abortion rights provisions on ‘Nevadans and Arizonans are gathering signatures for poll initiative to offer voters the chance to guard abortion entry of their states’ structure in 2024. Nevada is likely one of the most pro-choice states within the nation. And the overwhelming majority of Arizonans assist abortion entry, as properly,’ Dan Kanninen, the Biden marketing campaign’s battleground states director, mentioned.” • Does anyone consider that if the Democrats gained the Presidency and each homes of Congess, that they’d codify Roe?
Biden (D): “Democrats urge marketing campaign to ‘let Biden be Biden’ as polling strain mounts” [Washington Examiner]. “The Biden marketing campaign defended the president’s smaller occasions final week in Michigan and Wisconsin, regardless that a scarcity of planning [ha ha] meant reporters touring with him couldn’t hear him throughout his Saginaw, Michigan, cease. A marketing campaign aide described the occasions as alternatives for Biden to talk and join with supporters and voters in “a really private” capability, one that may be amplified on social media afterward. ‘The crowds in Milwaukee and Saginaw have been thrilled to see the president,’ the aide mentioned. ‘They have been fired up, and the president was, in flip, thrilled to see them, and he was fired up. I feel everybody bought a handshake. Everybody bought an image with the boss.” • Oh. In order that’s how they consider us.
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Kennedy (I):
About two weeks from now, shortly after RFK Jr has introduced his operating mate, poll entry home windows will open in 23 states (WA, OR, ID, ND, SD, KS, OK, IA, AR, LA, IN, OH, KY, TN, AL, FL, VA, PA, NJ, CT, MA, VT, and ME)!
Are you able to be part of this tidal wave? Unsure…
— Peace-loving Impartial 🌺🌎🕊️💗⚖️🌺 (@CRLady2016) March 18, 2024
I can’t for the “poll entry home windows,” however a nationwide motion to get a candidate on the poll can be interesiting.
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“A very powerful Senate main of the yr is only one of at the moment’s elections” [Politico]. “Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno … has spent the ultimate days of the carefully contested GOP main attempting to maneuver shortly previous an Related Press story about an account on an grownup web site that he says was created by an intern in 2008…. Moreno is locked in a aggressive, three-way race for the nomination to face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in what might be the decisive contest for management of the Senate. There’s little in the way in which of dependable, unbiased polling, although most observers see Moreno and self-funding state Sen. Matt Dolan — who’s operating in a extra reasonable lane — as the highest contenders, with Secretary of State Frank LaRose a tier under. Trump is placing his political capital behind Moreno, trekking to Ohio for a weekend rally simply 48 hours after the AP story was printed. He reportedly scheduled the journey the week earlier than the first after polling confirmed Moreno had not locked down the nomination regardless of Trump’s long-standing endorsement.” 2024 – 2008 = 16 years in the past? That’s some well-funded oppo — which I don’t image AP as taking the lead in, normally. Can any Ohio readers remark?
The Wizard of Kalorama™
“Thriller as Barack Obama noticed outdoors No10 Downing Road for unannounced go to” [The MIrror]. “Mr Obama smiled and waved at photographers earlier than he entered No 10 shortly after 3pm. Downing Road later mentioned Mr Obama – who has not visited No10 since leaving workplace – was making an ‘casual courtesy drop-in’ whereas within the UK capital. The ex-President, who served within the White Home from 2009 to 2017, was seen leaving round an hour later with US ambassador Jane Hartley. He held a gathering with Rishi Sunak, who’s presently having a tough time on the helm.. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman mentioned: ‘He was making a casual courtesy drop-in as a part of his journey to London, the place he’s conducting work of the Obama Basis..” • Oh, completely. Possibly Obama is aware of the place Kate is?
Democrats en Déshabillé
“The Democratic Get together Owes Us Some Candor” [Brian Beutler, Off Message]. From February. ” Current reporting suggests even outdated colleagues from the Obama-Biden years can’t get straight dope from the individuals operating the Biden re-elect. They need everybody else to assume that every part’s going in response to plan. Nevertheless it’s clearly not… This is the reason I’d nonetheless just like the Biden marketing campaign to be candid with the get together rank-and-file about how we bought up to now. Presumably being down two factors in mid-March was by no means a part of their plan. Why do they assume it occurred?Did Democrats make a mistake by treating Trump as if he’d entered exile, giving him large berth to rehabilitate himself and smear Biden with out pushback? And if that was a mistake, how do they plan to repair injury finished over three years within the subsequent few weeks or months?” • “With out pushback” apart from a multipronged lawfare assault, together with an effort to take away Trump from the poll altogether beneath Secion Three of the Fourteenth Modification. “With out pushback.” Actually?
“How Really Present Democrats Run for Workplace” [Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect]. “Final week, the Middle for Working-Class Politics, together with Jacobin and Arizona State College’s Middle for Work and Democracy, launched a outstanding survey that went about answering this query in a approach I hadn’t seen earlier than. They checked out all of the 966 Democratic candidates for federal workplace (the Home and the Senate) who ran within the 2022 midterm elections (primaries in addition to the November generals), studying all their web sites and information of their talks to see the themes, the platforms, and the phrases themselves that the candidates used.” Extra: “[O]n web page 13. the authors current the information on simply what number of of those almost 1,000 candidates, spanning all forms of districts and ideologies, invoked the themes and language of the cultural left. To nobody’s shock, a hefty majority of Democratic candidates devoted their consideration to the problem of abortion and the fitting to decide on. About one-quarter of them raised points regarding gays and lesbians, and just a little greater than 10 % these regarding undocumented immigrants. However on the opposite 40 matters that to many People outline at the moment’s Democratic Get together—starting from reparations and defunding the police to open borders and gender identification—the share of Democratic candidates who had a lot as a phrase to say averaged beneath 5 %, and for plenty of these points, was a flat zero. Which raises a quite necessary query: How has the Democratic Get together come to be outlined by points and considerations that its candidates and officeholders don’t even speak about? How have the Democrats turn out to be recognized with positions they don’t maintain?” • Mayerson’s reply is Republican propaganda, amplified by a criticism press. However there might be different elements….
Realignment and Legitimacy
“How Revolution Occurs—and Learn how to Cease It” [Tucker Carlson, Mordern Age]. “It occurred as a result of just one aspect of the revolution acknowledged that it was a revolution. The opposite aspect had no thought. One aspect noticed these adjustments for what they have been: Let’s fully change American society, from the underside to the highest. Let’s eradicate any sense of shared tradition or historical past. Let’s atomize the nation to the purpose the place there’s no viable opposition to what we’re doing. And as soon as we’ve finished that, let’s addle everybody with pharmaceuticals. Let’s encourage them to be unhealthy, single, and childless, after which we will do no matter we wish. And nobody’s conscious on the opposite aspect—which isn’t simply the fitting, however the huge bulk of everybody else, which would come with loads of Democrats and simply regular individuals who aren’t in any respect within the revolution. They’d no thought what was taking place. It’s necessary to know the second that you just’re in. It cuts towards the very core of human nature to know that, as a result of denial is essentially the most highly effective of all human instincts.” • Hmm. I wouid have mentioned that each one the revolutionary vitality is on the fitting. Revolutions could be reactionary, absolutely?
#COVID19
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“I’m in earnest — I cannot equivocate — I cannot excuse — I cannot retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; consists of many counties; Wastewater Scan, consists of drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Basic Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be at liberty to contact me on the handle given with the crops. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!
Sources, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater studies); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).
Sources, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Sources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).
Hat tricks to useful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep secure on the market!
* * *
Covid is Airborne
Droplet dogma took us backwards?
In 1888, Massachusetts District Police inspectors monitored faculties and public buildings with a conveyable CO2 meter to verify whether or not indoor air renewal was good. If not, the college was briefly closed to hold out air flow work.
It was codified, documented and enforced. 🔽 https://t.co/PtuAilLVcz pic.twitter.com/7ARV5DnJZI
— LET’S AIR / NOUS AÉRONS (@nousaerons) March 18, 2024
Maskstravaganza
Extra conversational suggestions:
Stranger: Why you carrying a maskMe: It’s making me richStranger: WhatMe: My coworkers are sick on a regular basis. I don’t get sick, so I’m making shitloads of cash on time beyond regulation since I’m the one one who’s persistently obtainable to work. Cool with me, I’m nice with retiring early! pic.twitter.com/NUmcbGrmsh
— 🐀 (@Guiness_Pig) March 16, 2024
Media
Dying Panel podcast goes after that horrid NPR story:
In our newest, we take a detailed take a look at a broadly shared piece from NPR which presents avoiding covid each because the product of unreasonable “nervousness” and as one thing immunocompromised individuals ought to let go of lest their family members think about abandoning themhttps://t.co/vRrfdwNFOB
— Dying Panel (@DeathPanel_) March 18, 2024
Elite Maleficence
Readers, thanks a lot on your assist with getting a replica of “The politics of ‘letting it rip.’” Since I’m touring, at the moment just isn’t the day to return your kindness, however quickly. –lambert
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TABLE 1: Each day Covid Charts
LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new at the moment; all others should not up to date.
2) For a full-size/full-resolution picture, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Home windows) on the chart thumbnail and “open picture in new tab.”
NOTES
[1] (Biobot) Our curve has now flattened out on the stage of earlier Trump peaks. Not an ideal victory. Notice additionally the world “beneath the curve,” moreover taking a look at peaks. That space is bigger beneath Biden than beneath Trump, and it appears to be rising steadily if erratically.
[2] (Biobot) Midwest ticks up.
[3] (CDC Variants) As of Could 11, genomic surveillance information might be reported biweekly, primarily based on the provision of optimistic check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice every week; semiweekly.” Seems like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.
[4] (ER) “Charts and information supplied by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous yr, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.”
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Nonetheless down.
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Nonetheless down. “Maps, charts, and information supplied by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Check Positivity) and weekly the next Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET†”.
[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.
[8] (Cleveland) Flattening.
[9] (Vacationers: Posivitity) Now up, albeit within the rear view mirror.
[10] (Vacationers: Variants) JN.1 dominates totally.
Stats Watch
Housing: “United States Housing Begins” [Trading Economics]. “Housing begins within the US soared 10.7% month-over-month to an annualized charge of 1.521 million in February 2024, after falling by 12.3% in January, and beating forecasts of 1.425 million, amid a persistent scarcity of beforehand owned homes. ”
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Manufacturing: “Boeing Faces Tough Steadiness Between Security and Monetary Efficiency” [New York TImes]. The lead: “Lower than 4 weeks after a gap blew open on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet throughout a flight, firm executives face a thorny query: Ought to they emphasize security or monetary efficiency?” • I do know! I do know! Commentary:
Articles concerning the Boeing whistleblower’s demise are saying ‘nobody has advised foul play by Boeing.’
Actually? Then I counsel there was foul play by Boeing. There, somebody advised it. pic.twitter.com/UkHjGpEmNR
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) March 19, 2024
In the meantime, the silence on Barnett’s demise from in Charleston Put up and Courier’s “good, quiet, little seashore group” turns into ever extra deafening, as six days move and not using a followup story.
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At the moment’s Concern & Greed Index: 69 Greed (earlier shut: 71 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 69 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Mar 19 at 11:58:19 AM ET.
Class Warfare
Each day Beast]. “With simply 1,500 members, World.Minds is a concentrated collective of wealth and energy with a roster that features former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and retired Gen. David Petraeus, philosophers Peter Singer and Daniel Dennett, and billionaires Invoice Ackman, Henry Kravis, and Alex Karp. Beneath its constitution, no less than 51 % of the group should work within the sciences to make sure that it doesn’t ‘devolve right into a enterprise membership.’ World.Minds doesn’t settle for membership functions, its web site coldly states: ‘Until you might be a world scholar, don’t contact us. We are going to contact you.’ By no means thoughts that there isn’t any e-mail handle or telephone quantity listed.” • Nicely. with Geithner and Petraes on board, I don’t know what extra we have to know!
“Extremely-Rich Are Souring on Chicago’s Most Elite Neighborhood” [Bloomberg]. “The historic Gold Coast, that includes 100-year-old mansions, opulent condos and designer boutiques, has misplaced a few of its most illustrious residents and enchantment in recent times as the town’s excessive taxes and crime inspired the rich to relocate. These staying in Chicago are choosing extra trendy houses in trendier areas, leaving Gold Coast properties sitting in the marketplace for months.” And; “Houses within the Gold Coast have been already struggling as a result of repairs prices of the older ornate properties, and the expansion of different neighborhoods. Jennifer Ames, an actual property agent with Engel & Volkers Chicago who has a list within the space, mentioned a part of the problem is that whereas the houses are stunning, they require patrons to have a ‘curator mindset.’ ‘Take into consideration like Downton Abbey, proper? It’s tremendous cool, actually enjoyable to observe, however no person lives like that anymore,’ she mentioned.” • Can’t discover good assist?
Information of the Wired
“The US authorities appears severe about growing a lunar financial system” [Ars Technica]. ” Final yr, the protection company introduced it was initiating a research, LunA-10, to know how finest to facilitate a thriving lunar financial system by 2035. In December, DARPA introduced that it was working with 14 completely different corporations beneath LunA-10, together with main area gamers reminiscent of Northrop Grumman and SpaceX, in addition to non-space corporations reminiscent of Nokia. These corporations are assessing how companies reminiscent of energy and communications might be established on the Moon, they usually’re due to supply a ultimate report by June. Issues are transferring quicker than that, nonetheless. The DARPA program supervisor overseeing these actions, Main Michael “Orbit” Nayak, printed a paper earlier this month primarily based on learnings from these research that solely started a number of months in the past. ‘Based mostly on technical work and improvement carried out beneath the LunA-10 research, I’ve recognized six hypotheses the place, if revolutionary enhancements in know-how could be made, I assess {that a} direct acceleration to the fielding of a lunar financial system is prone to happen,’ Nayak mentioned within the paper.” • Since when did the horrid “learnings” change “classes”? Who did it? And who’s liable for the nimbus of authority surrounding “assess”? The spooks?
Medium]. “With out stepping into the intricacies, seems, even for essentially the most well-trained of us, ascertaining the intercourse of a day-old chick was laborious. The chick’s rear finish had a constellation of folds, marks, spots, and bumps that exposed the intercourse of a chick. However, these have been extraordinarily laborious to learn. By some estimates, there are as many as a thousand completely different vent configurations {that a} sexer has to study to turn out to be competent at their job. And on condition that they need to make these selections in seconds, it turned even tougher to know how they do what they do.” And: “Seems, even essentially the most skilled sexers have been unable to elucidate how they did their job. It was simply… an inexplicable artwork 😮. Inside 3 seconds, they only ‘know’ the intercourse of a chick. They noticed issues {that a} widespread individual merely doesn’t see. Seems, tt’s a novel artwork, as a lot as talent.” Enter (after all) AI: “Within the context of the demise knell that’s AI, there’s a lesson to study from Rooster sexers. A marketer’s job is enunciating differentiation. If AI is a studying mannequin educated on what exists, it’s at finest the highest 10% of what’s on the market. That’s the arbitrage for a marketer. If you wish to foolproof your job, you need to beat the highest 10% of an AI mannequin. Good odds, in the event you ask me 😜”
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Contact data for crops: Readers, be at liberty to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a verify in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photos of crops. Greens are nice! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you need your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it at the beginning of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize by utilizing your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) right here. From TH:
TH writes: “I’m guessing not all of those are actual. Hopefully, some are. It’s this cheery assortment of flowers greater than the meals that pulls me to “Yellow Vase Bakery, Café, Flowers”. This one is in Malaga Cove (Palos Verdes Estates, CA).” Nature morte … However not fully!
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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not lined by the annual NC fundraiser. So in the event you see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see wherever else, please don’t hesitate to precise your appreciation in tangible type. Bear in mind, a tip jar is for tipping! Common optimistic suggestions each makes me really feel good and lets me know I’m heading in the right direction with protection. After I get no donations for 5 or ten days I get frightened. Extra tangibly, a relentless trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I think about that trickle when setting fundraising objectives:
Right here is the display that can seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
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