Yesterday was, of course, Thanksgiving Day in the United States. I hope everyone had a wonderful day whether or not you are in the United States. Tomorrow, I will be going to see Virgil. I think I’m ready.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
The New Yorker – Could One Shot Kill the Flu?
Quote – For decades, scientists have dreamed of what some call a “universal” flu vaccine—one that could target many strains of the virus. A universal vaccine would save countless lives not just this year but every year; as those numbers add up, it would become one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in history. Until recently, it’s been beyond the reach of molecular biology. But new technologies are extending our abilities, and researchers are learning how to see through the flu’s disguises. Without knowing it, we’re living on the cusp of a remarkable scientific achievement. One of the world’s longest pandemics could soon be coming to an end.
Click through for complications. It’s not a certainty – but it is a possibiity -and that is progress. If you re paywalled out, feel free to email me and I’ll send a pdf.
Crooks and Liars – Justice For Ahmaud Arbery: ALL 3 Defendants Found GUILTY
Quote – The jury was not representative of the community, with 11 white and only 1 Black member, which was a concern that even the judge raised. They deliberated for roughly 10 hours and there was concern that this could be a Kyle Rittenhouse or George Zimmerman repeat. But JUSTICE PREVAILED.
Click through for details. I put up a tag Wednesday when this was announced, but I wanted to featureit also. It’s important.
The New Yorker – Peng Shuai and the High Stakes of Business in China
Quote – The post was up for about ten minutes before the state’s well-oiled machinery of censorship kicked into gear and took it down. Comments on Peng’s account were locked. Screenshots of her sixteen-hundred-word post, which were spreading, were scrubbed. Her name disappeared from Internet searches. Emojis and words related to the case did, too. For a while, even the word “tennis” was blocked. Behind the state’s erasure of Peng’s presence on the Chinese Internet was another urgent and troubling question: What would happen to her?
Click through for the story which is not at all simple. I never expected to be looking to “The Sporting Scene” for a short take, but pf coourse, she’s not the first sports woman, and will not be the last, whose life clashes in some way with authoritarian leadership.
Food for Thought –
2 Responses to “Open Thread for November 26, 2021”
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Comparing Bannon, Gosar, etc. to turkeys is a cruel insult against turkeys!
It is. It isn’t their fault that they are so overfed and underexercised that they literally have to be supported by humans to reproduce. It is, however, the fault of those four thjat they are what they are.