DL Open Thread: Sunday, October 30, 2022

Will Christine O’Donnell dress as ‘Not A Witch’?  For years, I dressed as a ‘Non-Essential State Employee’.  Had that costume nailed.

I Call Bullshit On This Piece:

Democratic leadership has for the most part has been subdued in their response, allowing it to naturally seep in to the consciousness of voters, giving the story time to percolate. Their reserve is born of an understanding that some events carry such significant weight that it doesn’t need a rhetorical push. Democratic voters don’t respond the same way as their Republican counterparts to hyperbolic outrage. If this was a Republican official, there would be a press conference on the steps of the capital and the Fox broadcast building would burst in to flames from the incendiary rhetoric and assignment of blame to every living breathing Democrat.

Which is exactly what the Democrats should be doing. ‘Doesn’t need a rhetorical push’? ‘Hyperbolic outrage’?  This flat out calls for outrage.  It’s not hyperbole when a MAGAt tries to assassinate the Speaker of the House.  What remains of our democracy hangs in the balance.  And all the D’s can muster is a ‘subdued response’?  Is that what their political consultants told them to do, or is it a natural reaction? Doesn’t matter.  Those D’s don’t deserve to be in office.  Starting with Senator ‘Can’t We All Get Along?’.  I’m sorry, if Chris Coons had been in Auschwitz during WW II, he would have been one of those ‘Good Jews’ who cooperated with the Nazis in the vain hopes that they would be spared.  Don’t direct your outrage at me, direct it at the MAGA Enabler and his, wait for it, ilk.  He and they are threats to our democracy, no matter how many buffets Coons bellies up to with his good friend Moscow Mitch.

This was an attack engineered by poisonous rhetoric from Chris’ friends from across the aisle.  Years of poisonous rhetoric. But, hey, Chris is in the club and he’s a chum (which BTW, has more than one meaning)):

“to dump chum into (a body of water) so as to attract fish. to lure (fish) with chum: They chummed the fish with hamburger.“

Coons fits both definitions.

Deep cleansing breath.

The Origin Of COVID?: “A Complex And Grave Situation Inside A Wuhan Lab”:

As Reid burrowed into the party branch dispatches, he became riveted by the unfolding picture. They described intense pressure to produce scientific breakthroughs that would elevate China’s standing on the world stage, despite a dire lack of essential resources. Even at the BSL-4 lab, they repeatedly lamented the problem of “the three ‘nos’: no equipment and technology standards, no design and construction teams, and no experience operating or maintaining [a lab of this caliber].”

And then, in the fall of 2019, the dispatches took a darker turn. They referenced inhumane working conditions and “hidden safety dangers.” On Nov. 12 of that year, a dispatch by party branch members at the BSL-4 laboratory appeared to reference a biosecurity breach.

once you have opened the stored test tubes, it is just as if having opened Pandora’s Box. These viruses come without a shadow and leave without a trace. Although [we have] various preventive and protective measures, it is nevertheless necessary for lab personnel to operate very cautiously to avoid operational errors that give rise to dangers. Every time this has happened, the members of the Zhengdian Lab [BSL4] Party Branch have always run to the frontline, and they have taken real action to mobilize and motivate other research personnel.

Reid studied the words intently. Was this a reference to past accidents? An admission of an ongoing crisis? A general recognition of hazardous practices? Or all of the above? Reading between the lines, Reid concluded, “They are almost saying they know Beijing is about to come down and scream at them.”

And that, in fact, is exactly what happened next, according to a meeting summary uploaded nine days later.

That’s more than enough fair use.  You will want to read this riveting detective story from ProPublica. And perhaps donate.

Solar Power Farms Vs. Farmers.  It’s tough to pick a side on this one–especially since the aptly-named ‘Mammoth’ Solar Farm planned in Indiana is just about the size of Manhattan and is situated on choice farmland.

The ongoing fight is a sobering reminder of how Biden’s ambitions for a mass transition to renewables, aimed at averting the worst ravages of the climate crisis, will in significant part be decided by the vagaries and veto points of thousands of local officials, county boards and Connie Ehrlich-style opposition across the US.

Localized battles over new solar projects threaten to proliferate as the industry, buoyed up by the huge tax credits available for clean energy in the Inflation Reduction Act, seeks to expand. Over the past year, solar projects in Ohio, Kentucky and Nevada have all been delayed or sunk by irked local people. Ordinances restricting solar, wind and other renewable energy facilities have been passed in 31 states.

The prospect of solar energy projects occupying a chunk of American land has stirred unease among farmers, and even among some environmentalists, that valuable forests, wetlands and fertile soils may be sacrificed. If the US really is to zero out its carbon emissions by 2050, researchers at Princeton University have estimated that solar production could have to grow more than 20-fold, occupying an area that, put together, would be equivalent to the size of West Virginia.

Does Wilmington Need Two Libraries Within Walking Distance Of Each Other?  Darius Brown and John Carney say yes.  Meaning, hold on to your wallets:

This past September, Gov. John Carney announced plans to build a new $22 million library on North Market Street in Wilmington, a project spearheaded by Sen. Darius Brown.

Just one month earlier, state Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha announced plans to renovate the existing library at 3400 N. Market St. — a mere 5-minute walk from the proposed location of the new library.

Although surrounded by residential neighborhoods, the new library will occupy a section of North Market Street that is edged by commercial activities. The street also acts as a dividing line between the city of Wilmington and an unincorporated area of New Castle County. As neither entity has made much effort in driving commercial growth or improvement in the area, the decision has left some area residents and local elected officials questioning the need for two libraries.

Add me to that list.  But, hey, the $22 mill will come from that Federal slush fund.  Except–the costs would then be borne by the County.  Color me skeptical, but the new library would tend to serve a whiter clientele, and would ultimately lead to the closing of the library at 34th & Market.  Will Buccini Pollin be awarded the construction contract?

What do you want to talk about?