The Weird Times

Inner Monologues and Desultory Reporting from Outer Spaces: Issue 197, February 18, 2024 (V4 #41)

I’ve got something very obvious to tell you. You’re not allowed to give up. If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong. We need to utilize this power to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes. We don’t realize how strong we actually are.—Alexei Navalny     

Books, Art, Music, Culture

Ellen Gilchrist, Writer With an Eye on the South’s Foibles, Dies at 88: In her novels and story collections, she took a sharp, lightly ironic look at the class from which she came, the Southern upper bourgeoisie, Adam Nossiter, NY Times, 2/11/24: “She won the National Book Award in 1984 for her story collection Victory Over Japan. But it was her first collection, In the Land of Dreamy Dreams (1981), which depicted in large part the fissures and pathologies of the New Orleans upper class, that was in some ways most characteristic.”

Joseph Harrison, 1957-2024, Mary Jo Salter, Best American Poetry, 2/15/24: “On Tuesday, February 13, 2024, the poet Joseph Harrison died at home in Baltimore, not quite five months after a diagnosis of brain cancer.”

But after a short ceremony, public or private,

Listen for the wings of the birds, and ask where we’re going,

Alabama or Delaware, Canada, Yucatan,

And wish me luck in the next life, who now have wings.

—from “To My Friends,” Joseph Harrison

Beach Boys star Brian Wilson has dementia: New conservatorship is being proposed for the musician, following the death of his wife Melinda in January, according to court documents, Ben Beaumont-Thomas, The Guardian, 2/16/24

A superpower of older age: Powerlessness, Anne Lamott, Washington Post, 2/14/24: “I have a number of close friends in their 80s whom I see regularly, some of them quite infirm. On bad days, they say angrily that old age sucks. This is part of the package. We stick together. Ram Dass said that ultimately we are all just walking each other home.” (Gift article)

The Gift of Reading Toni Morrison to My Black Daughter in an Age of Book Bans: on the Importance of “Beloved,” Being a Black Mother in Texas, and Innocence Versus Experience, Rae Giana Rashad, LitHub, 2/13/24: “It takes a lot of mental and physical effort to break generational curses and prevent your daughters from learning the world you learned too soon.”

Author Khaled Hosseini on book bans in the US: ‘It betrays students:’ Hosseini’s The Kite Runner has joined a growing list of titles ‘under review’ or challenged by school boards, with nearly 5,894 books banned from July 2021 to June 2023, Olivia Empson, The Guardian, 2/13/24: “It’s vital living in a democracy that students are exposed to ideas, are allowed to think critically and can hear voices that aren’t their own. They should learn they will share the world with people who don’t look like them and sound like them. Books are a wonderful conduit for that.”

Building a woman from scratch: On Pygmalion and Poor Things, Lyz Lenz, Men Yell at Me, 2/14/24: “ Each iteration of the story — even the satires — is in a way a warning to women that they have fallen outside of what is acceptable. You women who are fully alive and aware must be less. Do your hair. Fix your attitude. Or the men will build your replacement.”

Maybe women should design our sci-fi future: On whether we'd like technology better if women designed it, Elle Griffin, The Elysian, 2/13/24: “I find I’m much more interested in a pastoral world where the technology is so advanced it’s almost never actually seen.”

Saving the news media means moving beyond the benevolence of billionaires, Rodney Benson, Victor Pickard, The Conversation, 2/13/24: “A strong, accessible media system that serves the public interest will ultimately require significant public funding.”

Jewish Identity with and Without Zionism: New books provide sober histories of the conflicts among Jews over Israel and offer alternate ways forward, Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 2/15/24: “…there was a time, not very long ago, when American Jews were free to have no particular thoughts or feelings about Israel….This is no longer a tenable position. 

‘As with a poem, each patient is unique’: the cancer surgeon using poetry to help train doctors: João Luís Barreto Guimarães, a breast cancer specialist and prizewinning poet, is pioneering the teaching of poetry alongside medicine to help trainee doctorsOliver Balch, The Guardian, 2/17/24: “Doctors often don’t have time to stop and think, so everything quickly gets reduced to the technical and mechanical.”

In a Memoriam: A Poem by Anthony Brian Smith: Remembering a Writer Gone Too Soon, LitHub, 2/15/24

I played. I stopped. The room grew silent.
The keeper looked quite shaken.
For just as sure I’d felt her die.
I felt something awaken.

—from “Daffodil,” Anthony Brian Smith

Politics and Economics

Russian activist and Putin critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison: Supporters and western officials condemn what they describe as a political assassination attributable to Russia’s president, Andrew Roth, Helen Sullivan, The Guardian, 2/16/24

When I Was a Hostage: My ordeal in Syria showed me how terrorism thrives in war. I see echoes in Gaza today, Theo Padnos, Persuasion, 2/14/24: “But when a population has been living under a regime of on-again off-again airstrikes over a period of years, the changes that really take your breath away are the psychological ones.”

Edward Said seems like a prophet: 20 years on, ‘there’s hunger for his narrative:’ As war rages in Gaza, the scholar and activist’s words feel prescient. That’s because so little has changed, Moustafa Bayoumi, The Guardian, 2/17/24: “What Said wrote 35 years ago can sound like it was written yesterday.”

Fix the Insurrection Act Before Trump Uses it to Create a Police State: During the January 6th attack, militia members were glued to Trump’s Twitter feed, anxiously awaiting Trump’s proclamation of the Insurrection Act and instant deputization of them, Thom Hartmann, Hartmann Report, 2/14/24

Journalism as a Front of War: On American Media and the Ideology of the Status Quo, Stephen W. Thrasher, LitHub, 2/12/24: “Journalism in the United States valorizes American militarism (and that of its allies), loathes activism (especially pacifism), and rewards those who lead careers which generally uphold the status quo.”

Camera shy v media hog: dilemma over Biden-Trump coverage amid brutal year for news media: Focus on Biden’s age, over-correcting Trump coverage and staff layoffs are few troubles ailing the media before 2024 elections, David Smith, The Guardian, 2/18/24: “The media we rely on most is the least economically viable and the media that is most economically profitable is the media that tends to be most inaccurate and sensational.”

Media creates Biden "fitness" crisis: And lets Trump off easy. Here's how...Judd Legum, Popular Information, 2/12/24: “The [NY Times] article says the disparate treatment by voters reflects "profound differences… in how they are perceived by the American public." It does not mention that the perceptions of the two men by the public are shaped by media coverage.”

The media's circular logic and destructive obsession with Biden's age: Yes, it's fast becoming the 2024 version of the media's obsession with Hillary's emails, Margaret Sullivan, American Crisis, 2/12/24: “His age really is a legitimate concern for many voters. But for the media to make this the overarching issue of the campaign is nothing short of journalistic malpractice.”

Taylor Swift Conspiracy Theories Hold Sway With 1 in 5 Americans: Nearly one-third of Republicans polled believe theory and more than two-thirds of Americans back Swift urging voting, Gregory Hurte, Bloomberg, 2/14/24

Top 10 Media Euphemisms for Violent Bipartisan Anti-Immigrant Policies: Now that far-right “border” policy is bipartisan consensus, conveying the human stakes of “tougher” enforcement is unacceptable. So euphemism reigns, Adam Johnson, The Column, 2/14/24

The US supreme court may turn this election into a constitutional crisis: By dodging the question of Trump’s eligibility for re-election, the court could force a dangerous situation on to Congress, Sidney Blumenthal, The Guardian, 2/14/24: “A decision from this court leaving unresolved the question of Donald Trump’s qualification to hold the office of president of the United States under section 3 of the 14th amendment until after the 2024 election would risk catastrophic political instability, chance disenfranchising millions of voters, and raise the possibility of public violence before, on, and after November 5 2024.”—Benjamin Ginsberg

Students lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses − draining school budgets and especially hurting the poorest students, Christine Wen et al, The Conversation, 2/15/24

Teachers are limiting lessons on political, social issues, report finds, Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, 2/15/24: “A majority of American teachers are circumscribing lessons on political or social topics due to worries over parental complaints, and amid a wave of legislation that has reshaped how educators are allowed to discuss race, history, sex and gender in the classroom.”

Tracking of Planned Parenthood Visits ‘Should Terrify Every Single American,:’Sen. Ron Wyden warns that “if a data broker could track Americans’ cellphones to help extremists” send ads to clinic visitors, “a right-wing prosecutor could use that same information to put women in jail,” Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams, 2/14/24

Inside tech billionaires’ push to reshape San Francisco politics: ‘a hostile takeover:’ The Guardian and Mission Local unravel ‘grey money’ network flooding progressive city with conservative cash, Ali Winston, The Guardian, 2/12/24: “This is a $20bn hostile takeover of San Francisco by people with vested real estate and tech interests, and who don’t want anyone else deciding how the city is run.”

Redefining “Politicians” in 2024, Sarah Hadad, Democracy Docket, 2/16/24: “In 2024, 41 million Gen Z members will be eligible to vote; their participation could catalyze a much-needed revolution in our political landscape.”

It is difficult to know the world as someone other than yourself, to sense through nothing more than shadow there is in you a garden somewhere planted by a stranger, where the spirit you imagine passing through you glides against another person’s body like a ghost.

—from “Ommatidia,” Nicholas Gulig

Science, Environment

Oof. A Small Step Forward, and then...The rich don't understand we're in an emergency. Or don't care, Bill McKibben, The Crucial Years, 2/15/24: “The choice for financiers and investors is clear: enact policies needed to protect all human life, such as halting support for fossil fuel expansion, or keep gambling for a profit motive that is increasingly running afoul of government restrictions. Leadership is needed now to save lives on the Gulf and around the world—Wall Street must act as boldly as the White House.”

A Collapse of the Amazon Could Be Coming ‘Faster Than We Thought:’ A new study weighed a range of threats and variables in an effort to map out where the rainforest is most vulnerable, Manuela Andreoni, NY Times, 2/14/24: “Up to half of the Amazon rainforest could transform into grasslands or weakened ecosystems in the coming decades, a new study found, as climate change, deforestation and severe droughts like the one the region is currently experiencing damage huge areas beyond their ability to recover.”

Ocean Temperatures Keep Shattering Records—and Stunning Scientists: Sea surface temperatures have been skyrocketing beyond expectations. That may be a bad sign for hurricane season—and the health of ocean ecosystems, Matt Simon, Wired, 2/15/24

Nighttime pollination is plummeting. Some clever sleuthing pinpointed a surprising culprit: A big part of the problem, it turns out, is that nighttime air pollution (more so than daytime pollution) blinds pollinators to the smell of flowers, Warren Cornwall, Anthropocene, 2/14/24

Scientists warn of looming ‘ecosystem collapse’ in Louisiana’s wetlands: A major surge in sea level has left 87 percent of coastal wetlands in a state of current or expected ‘drowning,’ a new study finds, Brady Dennis, Chris Mooney, Washington Post, 2/15/24

Uncovering the hidden plastics in everyday clothing, EHN Curators, Environmental Health News, 2/14/24: "Our plastic-based textile economy has led to unsustainable overproduction of clothing that is unhealthy for our communities and our ecosystems."

Plastics industry's recycling deception exposed, EHN Curators, Environmental Health News,  2/16/24: “A new report uncovers decades of misleading claims by plastic producers about the viability of recycling, revealing it as a flawed solution for waste management.”

Danish photos from the 1930s show what Greenland’s glaciers used to look like: Scientists are using the images to document the impacts of global warming, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 2/13/24: “Using the Danish images, military photos, and satellite data, the researchers found that Greenland’s glaciers retreated throughout the 130-year study period. But their melting sped up over the past two decades.”

Migratory species face a global decline, UN warns: Nearly half of the world's migratory animals are declining, with many at risk of extinction, highlighting the urgent need for global conservation efforts, Christina Larson, Environmental Health News, 2/12/24

How environmental DNA is giving scientists a new way to understand our world: The ability to extract trace bits of DNA from soil, water, and even air is revolutionizing science. But it's not foolproof, Peter Andrew Smith, MIT Technology Review, 2/13/24

Wyoming Hits the Rare-Earth Mother Lode: If managed wisely, the discovery at Halleck Creek will make the U.S. the world’s indispensable mineral supplier, Michael Austin, Wall Street Journal, 2/14/24 (Gift article)

Colorado River's future: a complex challenge amid climate change: The Colorado River, vital for 40 million people, faces an uncertain future due to climate change, EHN Curators, The Daily Climate, 2/12/24

‘It’s almost carbon-negative’: how hemp became a surprise building material: Proponents of the material tout its non-toxic and mould, fire and infestation-resistant properties, Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 2/15/24

On this Social Network, Sea Ice, Traditional Foods, and Wildlife Are Always Trending: Using an app developed by Inuit in Nunavut, Indigenous communities from Alaska to Greenland are harnessing data to make their own decisions, Hannah Hoag, Hakai, 2/15/24

A ‘Lobby’ Where a Molecule Mob Tells Genes What to Do: Highly repetitive regions of junk DNA may be the key to a newly discovered mechanism for gene regulation, Phillip Ball, Quanta, 2/14/24

We’re entering a golden age of engineering biology, Joshua March, Kasia Gora, Noahpinion, 2/18/24: “For the very first time in our history, in human history, biology has the opportunity to be engineering, not science.”

I am the velvet thing that brushes your earlobes.
I am at home in a cave, a whisker in a dark hole.
I am encircled by rain, owned by wind.
I am a blossom only if you see me.

— from “After Michael Longley, After Amergin Glúingel,” Jim Moore

Health, Wellness

Early dementia diagnosis: blood proteins reveal at-risk people: The results of a large-scale screening study could be used to develop blood tests to diagnose diseases such as Alzheimer’s before symptoms take hold, Miryam Naddaf, Nature, 2/12/24

Gold nanoparticles reverse brain deficits in multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s: Phase two clinical trials suggest experimental treatment could improve patient outcomes, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 2/13/24

Why is this largely unknown pesticide showing up in our bodies? First-of-its kind study finds chlormequat in 80% of people tested, EHN Curators, Environmental Health News, 2/15/24

My font of feelings is a waterfall and I live
as if no toupees exist on earth or masks that silence
the oppressed or anything that does not applaud
the sycamores’ tribute to the red flame like the heat
beneath my grandmother's heart who never raised a ghost
but a storm. So, look at me standing on the porch laughing
at the creek threatening to become a raging river.

—from “Making Things,” Major Jackson

Birds, Birds, Birds

New study suggests birds began diversifying long before dinosaurs went extinct, Bob Yirka, Phys.org, 2/13/24

Night parrot’s full genome offers hope for the elusive species, Ellen Phiddian, Cosmos, 2/15/24: “The opportunity to sequence the bird’s full genome arose last year, when Traditional Owners in the Pilbara found an injured night parrot caught on a fence.”

Call them bird-brained, but Hopkins scientists say it’s why pigeons can fly, Meredith Cohn, Baltimore Banner, 2/16/2024: “…the cerebellum was not only larger but had significantly increased activity when birds were flying.”

In Search Of Owls On The Chesapeake: How Expert Birders Spot Them, Mark Hendricks, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, 2/15/24: “The first thing beginning birders should do is research which species of owl live in your area.”

This weekend is the Global Bird Count, and there is still time to participate – even if you have time for only 15 minutes of bird-watching in your backyard. Here is how to participate.

Some other news:

Frederator Books, which I happen to operate, just published a new children’s book, A Foot is Not a Fish, by the outstanding writer, Cornelia Maud Spelman. You can buy it in inexpensive paperback or as a gift in hardcover. The Wall Street Journal called it “brave.” We need truth telling today, more than ever.

A foot is not a fish.

And a cat is not an egg.

Chickens do not bark.

And a hand is not a leg.

And there’s a new interview this week on Writerscast.com (and on all your favorite podcast providers) in which I talked to Chris Yogerst about his book, The Warner Brothers. It has an irresistible storyline about film and American cultural and political history and is fun and rewarding read.

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There is so much going on every week, yet some weeks are so much busier than others. This has been one of those weeks. I am hoping that The Weird Times can help us “walk each other home.”

Wherever you are, whoever you are with, whatever you are doing — thanks for who you are and what you do. Please continue to keep in touch. Send messages and news.

Above all, stay well; share love; work for good. We need each other, now more than ever. Love from here—David

I love you for the part of me that you bring out.—Elizabeth Barrett Browning