My thoughts on the govt announcement yesterday regarding a new viral strain potentially driving an increase in cases in London. The claim, at least from listening to the daily briefing seems to be based on the strain increasing in frequency more recently. 1/N

Cases have been rising exponentially in England- much of the increase being attributed to the South, although declines have slowed even in the North following easing of lockdown. Much of this is anticipated, and expected, given the behaviour of the virus. 2/N

SARS-CoV-2, like any other viruses mutates as it multiplies (albeit slower than influenza). Mutations occur randomly and most are 'neutral' - i.e. have little to no effect on transmission, ability to evade the natural or vaccine-related immune response

Having said that, few mutations have been shown to be less likely to be neutralised by plasma from patients infected by the usual (wild-type) virus. Whether this translates to a lower response to vaccines or higher risk of re-infection is unclear at the moment.

Also worth noting that just because a variant becomes more frequent in a region doesn't necessarily mean it offers a fitness advantage to the virus. Many mutations rise to different frequencies in different regions due to random processes. The frequency of strains varies globally

A lot of you are going to just breeze past this story without reading it, so let me just break down how absolutely deranged these actions by the president are. He's openly engaging in actual election fraud.

the big flashing red flag here is the president threatening Georgia's secretary of state if he doesn't overturn his defeat in that state.

after Raffensperger (a Republican btw) calls Trump's assertions "debunked conspiracy theories," the president urges him "find 11,780 votes" and suggests "there's nothing wrong with saying" that he's "recalculated."

The president genuinely sounds like he's trying to talk his way out of prison.

Here is the president vaguely threatening Georgia officials that if they don't "find" these ballots that don't exist, they might be "subject to criminal liability." Hard to believe this isn't completely illegal.

I suspect that Emergentism and Enactivism have very little appeal in a world dominated by Reductionists.

To get funding one must present a reductionist idea. A perfect example of this is the European Blue Brain project.

I also suspect that pitches that show how one can get a competitive advantage over the rest of humanity has a much greater appeal than pitches that show how one can that has a unified view of humanity.

My book 'The Deep Learning Playbook' out sold my other book 'Artificial Intuition' by a metric mile. I am however more proud of the latter book.

That's because the word 'playbook' conveys a thing that once possessed gives one new power. In contrast, the word 'intuition' does not feel like a think but more of a process (a thought process). Processes don't appear like things that can be owned.

Is the European Union really being unreasonable over the City of London?

Or are we seeing an inevitable consequence of a Brexit that prioritised sovereignty over financial services?

A thread…🧵💵🏦🇬🇧🇪🇺

Andrew Bailey’s Mansion House speech this week showed clear signs of frustration about the EU’s foot dragging in granting “equivalence” to UK regulators on financial

The view among UK financial lobbyists and regulators is that the EU has various financial equivalence agreements already with a host of other third countries (even the US) so why not the UK, which is currently, of course, totally aligned?...3/

But the view in the EU is that the UK is different from those other countries because it’s so dominant in finance - and they fear outsourcing regulation to an authority outside the bloc when that regulated activity could potentially affect EU markets/business so profoundly ...4/

Andrew Bailey thinks the EU is gearing up to demand the UK be a simple “rule taker” in return for equivalence, unable to unilaterally change UK rules, which he says would be "intolerable"....5/

A federal judge in DC is holding a detention hearing in the cases of Capitol insurrection defendants Eric Munchel (who was photographed wearing tactical gear and holding a bunch of zip tie handcuffs) and his mother Lisa Eisenhart — the govt is arguing to keep both behind bars

Re: the zip tie handcuffs that Munchel and Eisenhart allegedly picked up inside the Capitol, AUSA Ahmed Baset says they were visible to lots of people passing by at the time but these two not only took them, but did so "with glee"

Baset says it's true that Munchel and Eisenhart aren't charged with physically hurting anyone, the evidence shows they were looking for lawmakers, who had been cleared out. "They should not be given credit for that," Baset argues.

Baset says that Munchel was in touch with the Proud Boys in Tennessee *after* Jan. 6 and talked about how he'd wanted to join their ranks before but didn't know how

Munchel's lawyer Sandra Roland argues that the Tennessee magistrate judge who granted pretrial release to Munchel and Eisenhart got it right in finding that the govt failed to show there were no combination of release conditions that would protect the community

#WealthOfNations I.ii is all about the secret sauce origin story: why does the division of labor happen in the first place? #AdamSmith illustrates (in part) with doggos to hold our attention. (I.ii.2,5) 🐶 #WealthOfTweets #SmithTweets #DoggosDontTrade

Divsion of labor, Smith said yesterday, is responsible for a whole heckuva lot. But who thought of it? Nobody! It's "not originally the effect of any human wisdom, which foresees and intends that general opulence to which it gives occasion." (I.ii.1) #WealthOfTweets #SmithTweets

There's no mastermind behind economic exchange, our "propensity to truck, barter, and exchange one thing for another" (I.ii.1) arises out of our natural tendency to persuade one another and better our condition. #WealthOfTweets #SmithTweets

Yeah, there's a lot in that first paragraph. #WealthOfTweets #SmithTweets

You know what's coming, right? 🍖🍻🍞 Butchers, brewers, bakers: they don't make us things because they love us. They're not our moms. (I.ii.2) #WealthOfTweets #SmithTweets

1. Tues. 26 Jan. Mossad, CIA, M16 Operatives Get Training at Tavistock: Continue reading "Tavistock – nothing is ever what it seems"

The majority of CIA and MI6 operatives get their training via the Tavistock philosphy. They learn Metaphysics, Mind Control, Behavior...

The very idea that we should concern ourselves with establishing rules of conduct that guarantee equal treatment for both ourselves & for the racist, murdering fascists who are aiming to carry out genocide & overthrow democratic governments makes no sense.

I appreciate everyone’s commitment to ideas of liberalism & equality but fascism exists outside of liberalism & there are people trying to kill us whose very ideology is based on the idea of there being no equality. They can only defeat us or be defeated.

There’s a reason we had an entire world war over this issue and it’s not because people at the time couldn’t figure out how to come up with a standard for free speech that applied equally to fascists & all the people they were trying to kill.

Furthermore, the idea we have to apply equal standards to all forms of speech implies all speech is equal. By that logic, there’s no difference b/w someone using social media to incite genocide v someone using it to advocate equal rights. Is that really the moral position?

The idea that holding Trump & other fascists to account might later have negative impact on others ignores that it’s already been the case that Black & brown ppl have received unequal policing & banishment online. The only thing new is that they’ve finally banned Trump.

@PMOIndia @criminalreforms @CVCIndia

0/8

Believing that keeping a small state party or an anti-corruption NGO can eradicate corruption all over Tamil Nadu is tantamount to saying that we will put out all the fire in a small glass of water to put out the huge fire that erupted on a large multi-storey.
1/8

Fighting bribery and corruption in the courts cannot be won.
Even a major state party in politics cannot eradicate this completely.

This will be possible only if bribery and corruption are eradicated from the whole of India.
2/8

Bribery and corruption are not a statewide, they are a nationwide disaster.

Corruption cannot be eradicated in Tamil Nadu alone. This is a nationwide disaster like Corona.
3/8

Only the demonic power available to the Indian National Party can eradicate this deadly poisonous bribery and corruption that is ravaging this country.

Prime Minister Modi has got such a terrible strength. But the million-dollar question is whether he will do this.
4/8

1. Military Intelligence Contact Update:

. .. Our military intel contact is confirming Mr. X’s sources, Bruce’s sources, and MarkZ’s sources saying that the preparation for the shotgun start has still been going strong today Tue 26 Jan; he said there were orders from DoD...

1) It looks like Pelosi is covering up the reasons why there was insufficient security at the US Capitol on January 6.

Did Pelosi purposely create the stage, as political theater, for the US Capitol Police to be overrun? House GOP leaders are asking questions that need answers.

A TRAITOR'S SHADOW

"it doesn't appear Democrats would have enough support in their caucus to change the rules because at least two centrists are resisting." CNN

Now imagine if the roles were reversed. What would Mitch McConnell

Why do I have little faith that anything will change under Biden? Look no further than Dems reticence to kill the filibuster. Real talk.

YOU GOT 2 YEARS. 2 FUCKING YEARS.

Prediction: If Dems dont kill the filibuster, they will lose the midterms thus losing Congress & Trumpism-

returns in 2024. All b/c Dems cant bring themselves 2 being as ruthless 4 their principles & values as Repubs are 4 theirs. Where is Democrats' Mitch McConnell? Who on the Democrat side is as ruthless as McConnell. No one. McConnell don't give a fuck & Dems have no such villain.

Leadership aint got a goddamn thing 2 do w/whether U or I agree on what said leader is doing. Leadership is about whether the mafucka in charge DOES WHAT HIS/HER PEOPLE SENT THEM THERE TO DO. Herein lies the problem w/electing a moderate in times that calls for a progressive.

Hear me. ALL OF JOE BIDEN'S TENURE WILL COME DOWN TO WHETHER SENATE DEMOCRATS KILL THE FILIBUSTER. McConnell is still behaving like he is in charge, telling the Democrats there will be no impeachment trial just like he told Obama there will be no Supreme Court nomination.

DC Coup Analysis Thread 1/

I am doing my 'first thoughts' review & analysis of the Trump attempt of a Dictatorial Coup of America we just witnessed in DC the past few days. This is the first in a SERIES of THREADS. This looks at 'what happened'. This sets the stage

DC Coup Analysis Thread 2/

Before Wednesday 6.1.2021 Trump had been PLANNING and organizing that event. Trump knew it was date when Congress certifies Biden's victory to become next President. Trump is dumb enough, gullible enough & delusional enough to think it could be undone

DC Coup Analysis Thread 3/

Trump KNEW he had lost the actual popular vote. He had sent Giuliani to try to overturn several State elections which failed. Trump had come to believe, that on 6.1.2021 Congress COULD overturn the popular vote, and make Trump the President.

DC Coup Analysis Thread 4/

Any sane adult who tried to tell Trump the truth, was met with a petulant child who puts his hands over his ears and yells 'lalalalalala, I can't hear you'. Sadly a group of sick bastard liars egged Trump on into his delusions like Giuliani, Ted Cruz..

DC Coup Analysis Thread 5/

...Sadly a group of sick bastard liars egged Trump on into his delusions like Giuliani, Ted Cruz, Hannity & Lindsey Graham - convincing Trump that he CAN BE MADE PRESIDENT inspite of losing the popular vote, through that date 6.1.2021 in Congress

Paul Preston & the New California State update on Saturday Night Livestream with RedPill78

California's are sick of the Liberal Tyrants in Sacramento

No more Newsom and Pelosi for the majority of California residents sounds like a smart

The U.S. central government grew relentlessly larger, richer, and more powerful during the decades that every problem faced by Americans got worse. Why does anyone think making the government even bigger would *solve* any of those problems instead of making them even worse?

This is not just a matter of government ineptitude and corruption, although both of those are major factors. Our problems get worse as the government gets bigger because the Leviathan State and its clients have a vested interest in making them worse.

One of the biggest lies of statism is that government and its employees are utterly selfless and immune to the incentives that drive people in the private sector. This is absurd. Every government agency seeks to increase its "business" and "profits," just like corporations.

The key difference is that government increases its "market share" by giving BAD service and FAILING to provide value for money. Its "revenues" grow through coercion, not customer satisfaction. Agencies go out of business if they succeed too well at their tasks.

Time is money and money is time. The more of its time and money a nation pours into the fundamentally corrupt and inefficient engines of the State, the less it has for the private enterprises and VOLUNTARY cooperative endeavors that could actually resolve society's problems.

Spectator thread: Among the Scottish parliament’s many crucial roles, there is none more important than its ability to scrutinise government and hold it to account. The same is true of a free press. Both are at their best when they hold power to account on behalf of the public.

But neither can do this essential duty when crucial documents are withheld during important inquiries. The Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Gov’s handling of the Alex Salmond affair decided last week that it would not publish crucial submissions, including Mr Salmond’s ....

... apparently because it would contravene reporting restrictions rightly introduced to protect the identity of complainants.
We have published a duly redacted version of Alex Salmond’s account on our website.

We felt that an overly-cautious interpretation of the court order by the committee was frustrating the due process of parliamentary inquiry — and the freedom of the press to publish matters of public interest and importance.

We were aware that the court never intended to obstruct parliamentary or public scrutiny; but because of how the committee had interpreted the issue, we today sought clarification from the High Court in Edinburgh.