The Weird Times
Inner Monologues and Desultory Reporting from Outer Spaces
The Weird Times: Issue 96, March 13, 2022 (V2 #44)
“If you want to have clean ideas, change them like shirts.”—Francis Picabia
“The world is too dangerous for anything but truth, but too small for anything but love.”—William Sloane Coffin
Putin is facing a moral enemy with brave leadership and heavy female involvement. History shows that if he does not win quickly, he may never win at all.—Sebastian Junger, 3/7/22
If you invade an innocent country, then no, you can't have fries with that.—Dave Pell
“Everything the [far right] wanted to perceive as decadent and weak has proven strong and brave; everything they wanted to represent as fearsome and powerful has revealed itself as brutal and stupid.”—David Frum
War Peace and Everything That Matters
In Ukraine, a Couple Holds a Wedding in a War Zone: Two civilian volunteers of the Ukrainian Defense Forces got married at a checkpoint outside of Kyiv, Elise Taylor, Teen Vogue, 3/8/22
The Strategy That Can Defeat Putin: The U.S.-led coalition of liberal-democratic states should pursue three objectives, Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 3/7/22: “Western strategy should rest on three pillars: vigorous and imaginative military support to Ukrainian regular and irregular forces; sanctions that will hobble the Russian economy; and construction of a militarily powerful European alliance that can secure the border with Russia as long as that country remains a menace.”
Jewish Ukraine Fights Nazi Russia: The absurdities of this historical moment, as embodied by President Zelensky, point us to the deeper truths of Ukraine’s messy identity, which is proving to be a more powerful construction than Putin’s authoritarian nostalgia, Vladislav Davidzon, Tablet Magazine, 3/4/22
Whatever His Motives, Putin’s War in Ukraine Is Fueled by Oil and Gas: The U.S. oil industry is hoping to fill the immediate void with increased oil and gas exports, while the EU moves in the longer term to replace Russian gas with renewable energy, Marianne Lavelle, Inside Climate News, 3/6/22
Teen Who Tracked Elon Musk Flights Has Moved On To Russian Oligarch Yachts: Many of the yachts are quickly heading to remote ports where they may be out of the reach of sanctions over the Ukraine invasion, Mary Papenfuss, HuffPost, 3/6/22
China's long game has just gotten a lot harder: Putin's war against Ukraine has upended key assumptions, Minxin Pei, Nikkei Asia, 3/8/22
The Nonfictional George Soros: Better Than Any Novel, Peter Osnos in Conversation with Andrew Keen, LitHub, 3/7/22
Don’t Blame Wages for Inflation: Workers are at last beginning to get what’s owed them. The sources of price hikes are elsewhere, Robert Kuttner, American Prospect, 3/7/22
Will high oil prices cause a recession? We're less vulnerable than we used to be, Noah Smith, Noahpinion, 3/9/22
These companies are still doing business in Russia, Judd Legum, Tesnim Zekeria, Rebecca Crosby, Popular Information, 3/10/22: Hyatt, Burger King, Citi, Philip Morris, Pirelli, Marriott, Hilton, among others. Ed.: remember these names.
GOP pushes for an ‘earthquake in American electoral power:’ Conservatives are promoting the "independent legislature" theory, which would hand vast election powers to GOP legislators in battleground states, Zach Montellaro, Politico, 3/9/22: “Taken to its extreme, some proponents of the theory argue it would give legislators power to override the choice of presidential electors after voting in their states.” Ed. Note – Be ready to fight when this happens, as it most certainly will, with the Supreme Court now in the hands of the authoritarians.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine marks the beginning of a post-American era, Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 3/11/22
We can do more to help Ukraine without provoking World War III: In aiding Ukraine, why are missiles fine but fighter jets unthinkable? Evelyn N. Farkas, Washington Post, 3/12/22
The Field Report: What the Invasion of Ukraine Means for the Food Supply: From the challenge of feeding millions of refugees to rising food prices and disrupted wheat crops, the war could have an outsized impact on the food system, Lisa Held, Civil Eats, 3/9/22
Ukraine war and anti-Russia sanctions on top of COVID-19 mean even worse trouble lies ahead for global supply chains, Tinglong Dai, The Conversation, 3/11/22
A brief history of Babi Yar, where Nazis massacred Jews, Soviets kept silence and now Ukraine says Russia fired a missile, Jeffrey Veidlinger, The Conversation, 3/7/22
Time for a Diplomatic Revolution: Cold War 2 is here, and the U.S. needs all the allies we can get, Noah Smith, Noahpinion, 3/11/22
Putin's Challenge To The American Right: An invasion in Europe has exposed the flimsiness of post-liberalism, Andrew Sullivan, The Weekly Dish, 3/11/22: “here’s hoping that the Western right will see in their Putin flirtation a cautionary tale: that post-liberal reactionary politics, abroad and at home, from Putin to Xi to Trump, is full of sound and violence, but is getting nowhere anytime soon.”
2020 Census undercounted Latinos, Blacks and Native Americans, bureau estimates show, Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 3/11/22. Ed. Note: This may actually be Trump’s biggest scandal, and next to the theft of the Supreme Court, will have the most long lasting effect on America - the effects of the Putin/Trump/RNC axis of evil.
Predicting the War; Predicting the Consequences: What can we learn about what might happen next from pre-war predictions? Sam Freedman, Comment is Freed, 3/11/22
‘Arsonists with keys to the firehouse’: once-obscure state races fuel fears for US democracy: Candidates for secretary of state are raising huge sums after Trump’s lies shook 2020 election, Joan E. Greve, The Guardian, 3/12/22
Garland says the Jan. 6 investigation won't end until everyone is held accountable, Carrie Johnson, NPR Morning Edition, 3/10/22
‘Cynical, craven’ Republicans out to bash Biden, not Putin, over gas prices: Critics say party has seized on price hikes to exploit war in Ukraine for its own benefit – ‘an unconscionable act of political cowardice,’ David Smith, The Guardian, 3/12/22
I have shot down
the drone
that invaded
my country
and which
you were probably
hoping
would survive
I don’t care
It was so vulnerable
so weak
against pickles
(Found on Twitter, author unknown, 3/7/22)
Books Culture Poetry Art
Don’t Touch My Corner: The War from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ostap Ukrainets, LA Review of Books, 3/7/22: “We remember every lie, every attempt to deny our existence and to force us to integrate into “one nation,” a nation that has never existed. We remember. And we are victorious.” Translated from the Ukrainian by Daisy Gibbons
How Ukrainian Writers Are Contributing to the War Effort, Kate Tsurkan, LitHub, 3/8/22: “I just don’t have time to be afraid or cry and I see that thousands of Ukrainians feel that way, too.”
My book was banned. Here's how we fought back, Brad Meltzer, CNN, 3/7/22: “ It's not surprising to find censorship when people's grip on power is threatened.”
How Ukrainian Writers Are Contributing to the War Effort, Kate Tsurkan, LitHub, 3/8/22: “I just don’t have time to be afraid or cry and I see that thousands of Ukrainians feel that way, too.”
Why this author says free speech is needed now more than ever, Tara Adhikari, Christian Science Monitor, 3/7/22
The Short Stories & Too-Short Life of Diane Oliver: Long before Jordan Peele’s breakout movies “Get Out” and “Us,” a young writer in the 1960s named Diane Oliver wrote six short stories about the horrors of racism in Black communities in suburban America, Michael A. Gonzales, The Bitter Southerner
House panel flags Amazon and senior executives to Justice Department over potentially criminal conduct: The referral is a significant escalation of lawmakers’ years-long questioning of statements Amazon executives made during an investigation, John Wagner, Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 3/9/22
Meet the woman who builds the world’s most unique Airbnbs: Kristie Wolfe has built off-grid hobbit holes, treehouses, and potato-shaped abodes — often on a shoestring budget, Zachary Crockett, The Hustle, 3/5/22
Books against bombs: how Ukrainians are using literature to fight back: During Covid, Ukraine’s population bought books, thanks to a government vaccine initiative. Now there is no time to read, they can still be useful, Katerina Sergatskova, The Guardian, 3/10/22
Texas Library Association forms coalition against banning books, Kaitlyn Karmout, KXAN, 3/8/22
What Google Search Isn’t Showing You: The search engine has made up so much of our online experience for so long that it can be hard to imagine something better, Kyle Chatka, New Yorker, 3/10/22
As an alternative, check out Marginalia: “an independent DIY search engine that focuses on non-commercial content.”
Sonia Sanchez, Poet, Lecturer, Activist for Peace and Racial Justice, Will Receive 2022 MacDowell Medal (MacDowell press release, 3/7/22)
“I had tears in my eyes as I learned about this award,” said Sanchez, who is widely considered one of the most important writers of the Black Arts Movement.
the rain exploding
in the air is love
the grass excreting her
green wax is love
and stones remembering
past steps is love,
but you. you are too young
for love
and i too old.
—Sonia Sanchez, from “Ballad: after the spanish”
Book of the Week: The Man Who Came and Went, by Joe Stillman: a magically realistic story for the modern era that will tease your understanding and beliefs, and draw you into the mysteries of the universe, from the brilliant mind of Joe Stillman, acclaimed Academy Award nominated co-writer of "Shrek."
Happy birthday Jack Kerouac, Janet Flanner, Max Shulman, Cesar Vallejo, Stephane Mallarme, Michael S. Harper, Richard Condon, Wilfred Owen, John Updike
Nature/Climate/Science
Rewilding Argentina: lessons for the 2030 biodiversity targets: A foundation that turns private land into national parks is reintroducing native species to restore ecosystems and build ecotourism, Emiliano Donadio, Sebastian Di Martino, Sofia Heinonen, Nature, 3/7/22
Chile creates national park to save glaciers, News Desk, Jakarta Post, 3/6/22
Climate-resilient coral species offer hope for the world’s reefs: A new study found two common reef-builders can cope with 2ºC of global warming, Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, 3/10/22
A Historic Chance to Protect America’s Free-Flowing Rivers: Ten bills in Congress would add conservation protections to 7,000 miles of river to safeguard drinking water, biodiversity and recreation, Tara Lohan, The Revelator, 3/2/22
Fears for bees as US set to extend use of toxic pesticides that paralyse insects: EPA to approve plan for four types of neonicotinoid chemical to be used on US farmland – despite being banned in Europe, Oliver Millman, The Guardian, 3/8/22
This Plastic Dot Sniffs Out Infections Doctors Can’t See: Keeping wounds covered can help them stay clean. But if bacteria grow beneath the bandages, things can get dangerous, Max G. Levy, Wired, 2/23/22
Could drugs prevent Alzheimer’s? These trials aim to find out: Researchers are giving drugs to healthy people in hope of clearing away toxic proteins in the brain and warding off neurogeneration, Alison Abbott, Nature, 3/10/22
Startup company works to develop elusive solid-state battery technology: Solid-state batteries for electric vehicles could store more energy, more safely, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 3/7/22
SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank, Gwenaëlle Douaud, Nature, 3/7/22: “The infected participants also showed on average larger cognitive decline between the two timepoints.”
The squit and the whale: can artificial faeces revive the ocean ecosystem? A scientific experiment hopes to restore vital nutrients to the ocean by using fake excrement that would once have been produced by the endangered mammal, Robin McKie, The Guardian, 3/6/22
Special brain cells may signal when to start new memories: Recordings from electrodes in people’s brains reveal that certain neurons in the hippocampus show a burst of activity to mark the boundary between different events, Clare Wilson, New Scientist, 3/7/22
What My Grandmother Knew About Dying: As a physician, I trained in the delicate art of preparing people for death. Losing Harriet made me see the work differently, Rachael Bedard, New Yorker, 3/6/22: “People die as they live and live as they are.”
Mask requirements in schools reduced coronavirus cases, CDC finds, Laurie Meckler, Washington Post, 3/9/22
Colorado steel mill goes solar: To reduce its climate impact, the plant in Pueblo turned to renewable energy, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 3/9/22
Tribes push to co-manage public lands in historic hearing, Rob Hotakainen, E&E News, 3/9/22: “What could be more restorative than giving tribes the opportunity to participate in the management of lands their ancestors were removed from?”
Reversing the desert: How an Arizona engineer is trying to heal the land and protect water, Shane Purcell, Cronkite News, 3/8/22
'It's for our survival' — Indigenous women lead conservation efforts in Canada, Natasha Bulowski, National Observer, 3/8/22
Climate, justice, and the deep roots of regenerative farming: Female farmers of color are reviving ancestral methods of growing food and reclaiming their communities’ relationship to land, Liz Carlyle, Daily Climate, 3/10/22
It’s not just THC, marijuana labs are testing for metals, pesticides and even insects, Gus Burns, MLive, 3/9/22
Single protein prompts mature brain cells to regenerate multiple cell types: Findings could lead to new ways to treat brain injuries and disease, News Team, UT Southwestern, 3/8/22: “We’re showing that it may be possible to reprogram the fate of this subset of brain cells, giving them the potential to rebuild the damaged brain…”
Why daylight saving time is unhealthy – a neurologist explains, Beth Ann Malow, The Conversation, 3/10/22
Birds
Eight ways to prevent birds flying into buildings with glass facades, Lizzie Crook, Dezeen, 3/10/22
How new bird species arise, University of Copenhagen, Science Daily, 3/10/22
Non-social jays surprise scientists by learning as skillfully as birds living in groups, Oregon State University, Science Daily, 3/9/22
Pictures in the Smoke
Oh, gallant was the first love, and glittering and fine;
The second love was water, in a clear white cup;
The third love was his, and the fourth was mine;
And after that, I always get them all mixed up.
—Dorothy Parker
Read of the Week (in which Ed. makes a suggestion – if you only have time to read one of the many articles linked in TWT, read this one: A Jewish girl was saved by a Ukrainian family during World War II. Now her grandchildren are returning the favor, Daniella Greenbaum, Washington Post, 3/11/22
… I remember way back then
When everything was true and when
We would have such a very good time
Such a fine time, such a happy time
And I remember how we'd play
Simply waste the day away
Then we'd say nothing would come between us
Our House in the Middle of the Street, Madness, by Daniel Woodgate, Graham Mcpherson, Lee Thompson, Christopher Foreman, Michael Barson, Cathal Smyth, Mark Bedford
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Слава Украіні! Email: losthorsepress@mindspring.com — www.losthorsepress.org
Some new ways to help Ukrainians: You keep asking, so I keep making lists. Please donate, Timothy Snyder, Thinking About, 3/9/22
We may feel we are done with the pandemic (and on to our next world disaster, Putin’s war) but pandemic does not seem to want to be done with us. The graph above shows the latest wave hitting Europe. We’re usually next. I know it’s hard, but we’ve got to keep fighting to keep our humanity present in every moment. “Get up, stand up, don’t give up the fight.”
We will keep our link bright and strong. We will be kind and gentle to every living thing. We will protect all who are weaker than ourselves. We will think pure and beautiful thoughts. We will say pure and beautiful words. We will do pure and beautiful deeds.
This gives us hope: Yale researchers find collective activism can be a buffer for ecoanxiety and depression: A study conducted by faculty from Yale and Suffolk University found that climate change-related anxiety and depression could be combated by participating in collective action against climate change, Chloe Nield, Yale Daily News, 3/8/22
Keep in touch - let me know how you are doing in these weird times.
Love to all who receive this. —David
Love is real. Real is love-John Lennon