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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
January 14, 2025
Garland fanboi/fangurl mileage may vary.....................
Zoe Lofgren on Nicolle says most all of the party is still angry with Garland for waiting far too long to go after Trump
Garland fanboi/fangurl mileage may vary.....................
January 14, 2025
Despite decades of inaction we can avert the climate Hellocene and restore the atmosphere to keep our world habitable
https://aeon.co/essays/we-can-still-get-out-of-the-climate-hellocene-and-into-the-clear
A heron at the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in Uarini, Amazonas state, Brazil, 7 March 2018. Photo by Bruno Kelly/Reuters
Whoosh. Our boat rocks a bit when a pink river dolphin surfaces and blows just a paddle’s length away. We’re in a low, open boat in western Brazil, a few hundred miles downriver from the borders of Colombia and Peru.
As a climate scientist at Stanford University, I’m here with colleagues at the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve deep in the Amazon to build new towers for monitoring emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, two of the world’s most powerful greenhouse gases. I study methane in particular because, pound for pound, it’s 90 times more potent than carbon dioxide at warming Earth in the first two decades after release. And methane concentrations have risen faster in the past five years than at any time since record-keeping began, for reasons we’re still trying to understand.
The highest methane emissions in nature come from tropical wetlands and seasonally flooded forests – like here at Mamirauá – and they are expected to rise with warming. Mamirauá is the western jewel in a chain of national parks and reserves placed deep in the Amazon to protect biodiverse forests, and the primates, people and fish who call them home. Mamirauá includes Indigenous lands and promotes the wellbeing of the ribeirinhos – traditional peoples living in communities along the river who fish, farm, selectively cut trees, and make crafts for their livelihoods – hence its designation as a ‘sustainable development reserve’. A sanctum of water, sky, wetlands and trees, its water is rich and tea-stained. The air is redolent of mud.
Tropical wetlands yield so much methane because they are warm, wet (by definition) and low-oxygen environments perfect for growing methane-emitting microbes. But tropical wetlands and flooded forests are also the world’s least-studied ecosystems for methane emissions – and almost everything else, for that matter. They’re hard to reach and a challenge to keep instruments running in, thanks to everything from the constant humidity to rampant ants that short wires.
snip
The planetary fix
Despite decades of inaction we can avert the climate Hellocene and restore the atmosphere to keep our world habitable
https://aeon.co/essays/we-can-still-get-out-of-the-climate-hellocene-and-into-the-clear
A heron at the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in Uarini, Amazonas state, Brazil, 7 March 2018. Photo by Bruno Kelly/Reuters
Whoosh. Our boat rocks a bit when a pink river dolphin surfaces and blows just a paddle’s length away. We’re in a low, open boat in western Brazil, a few hundred miles downriver from the borders of Colombia and Peru.
As a climate scientist at Stanford University, I’m here with colleagues at the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve deep in the Amazon to build new towers for monitoring emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, two of the world’s most powerful greenhouse gases. I study methane in particular because, pound for pound, it’s 90 times more potent than carbon dioxide at warming Earth in the first two decades after release. And methane concentrations have risen faster in the past five years than at any time since record-keeping began, for reasons we’re still trying to understand.
The highest methane emissions in nature come from tropical wetlands and seasonally flooded forests – like here at Mamirauá – and they are expected to rise with warming. Mamirauá is the western jewel in a chain of national parks and reserves placed deep in the Amazon to protect biodiverse forests, and the primates, people and fish who call them home. Mamirauá includes Indigenous lands and promotes the wellbeing of the ribeirinhos – traditional peoples living in communities along the river who fish, farm, selectively cut trees, and make crafts for their livelihoods – hence its designation as a ‘sustainable development reserve’. A sanctum of water, sky, wetlands and trees, its water is rich and tea-stained. The air is redolent of mud.
Tropical wetlands yield so much methane because they are warm, wet (by definition) and low-oxygen environments perfect for growing methane-emitting microbes. But tropical wetlands and flooded forests are also the world’s least-studied ecosystems for methane emissions – and almost everything else, for that matter. They’re hard to reach and a challenge to keep instruments running in, thanks to everything from the constant humidity to rampant ants that short wires.
snip
January 14, 2025
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/a-contrarian-take-on-volume-one-of
The fact that we are already familiar with almost all of the facts in the first volume of Jack Smith's final report on January 6th and Donald Trump's attempted self-coup, makes them no less horrifying.
The report lays out in surgical detail the five chapters of Donald Trump's effort to sabotage the 2020 election and perpetuate himself in power.
That begins with his pressure campaign to get state officials to reverse the election results, moves through his fraudulent elector scheme, then covers squeezing both DOJ and then Mike Pence to do his bidding, before culminating with the violence of January 6.
But because he has achieved through the ballot box what he failed to do through his 2020 post-election conduct, we now face the nightmare of a president who will have those same levers of power, and experience in how to use them. What’s more, this time he'll likely be surrounded by sycophants rather than of “grown-ups” in the room.
snip
A Contrarian Take on Volume One of Jack Smith's Report
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/a-contrarian-take-on-volume-one-of
The fact that we are already familiar with almost all of the facts in the first volume of Jack Smith's final report on January 6th and Donald Trump's attempted self-coup, makes them no less horrifying.
The report lays out in surgical detail the five chapters of Donald Trump's effort to sabotage the 2020 election and perpetuate himself in power.
That begins with his pressure campaign to get state officials to reverse the election results, moves through his fraudulent elector scheme, then covers squeezing both DOJ and then Mike Pence to do his bidding, before culminating with the violence of January 6.
But because he has achieved through the ballot box what he failed to do through his 2020 post-election conduct, we now face the nightmare of a president who will have those same levers of power, and experience in how to use them. What’s more, this time he'll likely be surrounded by sycophants rather than of “grown-ups” in the room.
snip
January 14, 2025
Local studio Gonzalo Bardach Arquitectura has created a concrete woodland house with a ramping green roof near the coast outside Buenos Aires, Argentina. Located in a coniferous forest in Costa Esmeralda, the 282-square metre (3,035-square foot) Forest House is set into a dune, using the uneven topography to create a shelter with voids and framed views that create a connection between the interior and exterior spaces.
The 2023 design works to harmonize architecture and landscape by placing large voids filled with glass in the front and the back of the house, looking out, that allow residents to feel like they are surrounded by the trees. At certain points in the perimeter, in circulation areas, the house is almost completely buried, and the space between the hills created by the structure are crossed by glass enclosures, furthing the experience of immersion.
The single-storey sleeping and service spaces are located in three linear pavilions partially buried in the dune and lined with extruding walls of board-formed concrete. The ground slopes up to form a green roof, which also bridges the pavilions over a large central space that holds the kitchen, dining, and living rooms. Light filters in through floor-to-ceiling glass walls and from the side of the house where the living room transitions to a small side gallery.
Over 50 square metres (560 square feet) of covered porch space is distributed across the plan with a large outdoor living area that heads out to the rectangular pool and a small awning off each bedroom that is created by the angled terminus of the stone walls. "The architectural path in the Forest House is the main axis of the whole design, for which every sequence and space has been thought through," said said Gonzalo Bardach Arquitectura founder Gonzalo Bardach.
snip
Gonzalo Bardach tops Argentinian forest retreat with garden roof
https://www.dezeen.com/2025/01/10/gonzalo-bardach-argentinian-forest-garden-roof/Local studio Gonzalo Bardach Arquitectura has created a concrete woodland house with a ramping green roof near the coast outside Buenos Aires, Argentina. Located in a coniferous forest in Costa Esmeralda, the 282-square metre (3,035-square foot) Forest House is set into a dune, using the uneven topography to create a shelter with voids and framed views that create a connection between the interior and exterior spaces.
The 2023 design works to harmonize architecture and landscape by placing large voids filled with glass in the front and the back of the house, looking out, that allow residents to feel like they are surrounded by the trees. At certain points in the perimeter, in circulation areas, the house is almost completely buried, and the space between the hills created by the structure are crossed by glass enclosures, furthing the experience of immersion.
The single-storey sleeping and service spaces are located in three linear pavilions partially buried in the dune and lined with extruding walls of board-formed concrete. The ground slopes up to form a green roof, which also bridges the pavilions over a large central space that holds the kitchen, dining, and living rooms. Light filters in through floor-to-ceiling glass walls and from the side of the house where the living room transitions to a small side gallery.
Over 50 square metres (560 square feet) of covered porch space is distributed across the plan with a large outdoor living area that heads out to the rectangular pool and a small awning off each bedroom that is created by the angled terminus of the stone walls. "The architectural path in the Forest House is the main axis of the whole design, for which every sequence and space has been thought through," said said Gonzalo Bardach Arquitectura founder Gonzalo Bardach.
snip
January 14, 2025
https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/a-new-years-reality-check-for-democrats
Item number one for Mike Johnson and the GOP in 2025? A vote on the Laken Riley Act—an illegal immigration crackdown that would require Homeland Security to detain migrants arrested for burglary, theft, or shoplifting. The quick move from the newly (and narrowly) re-elected Speaker was no surprise. Voters handed the GOP unified control of the federal government in no small part because of their promise to control illegal immigration. And unsurprisingly, the bill received unanimous support from House Republicans—an easy win on an important issue.
More interesting is the fact that the bill was quite bipartisan. Forty-eight House Democrats crossed the aisle and voted for the bill. The overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats voted for cloture and Senators Ruben Gallego and John Fetterman even co-sponsored the bill.
Policy implications aside—and Democrats do have legitimate complaints about the bill’s content (namely protections for Dreamers)—voting for the bill was likely a smart political move. In November, three in four voters cited “the situation at the US-Mexico border” as an important factor in their presidential choice. These voters backed Trump by 24 points. Nearly a third of the electorate cited it as the single most important factor in their vote. These voters backed Trump by a staggering 63 points. For better or worse, Americans are demanding changes to immigration policy and Democrats must respond.
The House Democrats most likely to join their GOP colleagues? Those bound for tough races in 2026. Forty-one of the 48 “defectors” represent districts that voted for Harris by less than ten points. All but two Trump-district Democrats supported the bill (Nellie Pou and Gabe Vasquez were the holdouts). Also among the “yeas” are the strongest performing Democrats—members like Jared Golden, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Frank Mrvan, and Marcy Kaptur. Time and time again they’ve shown that beating the presidential baseline requires bucking the party line on losing issues.
snip
A New Year's Reality Check for Democrats: Vulnerable Democrats tack right on immigration.
https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/a-new-years-reality-check-for-democrats
Item number one for Mike Johnson and the GOP in 2025? A vote on the Laken Riley Act—an illegal immigration crackdown that would require Homeland Security to detain migrants arrested for burglary, theft, or shoplifting. The quick move from the newly (and narrowly) re-elected Speaker was no surprise. Voters handed the GOP unified control of the federal government in no small part because of their promise to control illegal immigration. And unsurprisingly, the bill received unanimous support from House Republicans—an easy win on an important issue.
More interesting is the fact that the bill was quite bipartisan. Forty-eight House Democrats crossed the aisle and voted for the bill. The overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats voted for cloture and Senators Ruben Gallego and John Fetterman even co-sponsored the bill.
Policy implications aside—and Democrats do have legitimate complaints about the bill’s content (namely protections for Dreamers)—voting for the bill was likely a smart political move. In November, three in four voters cited “the situation at the US-Mexico border” as an important factor in their presidential choice. These voters backed Trump by 24 points. Nearly a third of the electorate cited it as the single most important factor in their vote. These voters backed Trump by a staggering 63 points. For better or worse, Americans are demanding changes to immigration policy and Democrats must respond.
The House Democrats most likely to join their GOP colleagues? Those bound for tough races in 2026. Forty-one of the 48 “defectors” represent districts that voted for Harris by less than ten points. All but two Trump-district Democrats supported the bill (Nellie Pou and Gabe Vasquez were the holdouts). Also among the “yeas” are the strongest performing Democrats—members like Jared Golden, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Frank Mrvan, and Marcy Kaptur. Time and time again they’ve shown that beating the presidential baseline requires bucking the party line on losing issues.
snip
January 13, 2025
Label: Kinetic Records – 54647-2
Series: Tranceport – II
Format: 2 x CD, Mixed
Country: US
Released: 1 Sept 1999
Genre: Electronic
Style: Progressive House, Trance, Tech House
Dave Ralph - Tranceport II (CD1 - Departures) + (CD2 - Arrivals) (1999)
Label: Kinetic Records – 54647-2
Series: Tranceport – II
Format: 2 x CD, Mixed
Country: US
Released: 1 Sept 1999
Genre: Electronic
Style: Progressive House, Trance, Tech House
January 13, 2025
Label: Not On Label – none
Format: File, MP3, Unofficial Release, 320 kbps
Country: Switzerland
Released: 28 Feb 2012
Genre: Electronic
Style: Tech House
Chris Isaak - Wicked Game (Adriatique & Thyladomid Edit) 2012
Label: Not On Label – none
Format: File, MP3, Unofficial Release, 320 kbps
Country: Switzerland
Released: 28 Feb 2012
Genre: Electronic
Style: Tech House
January 13, 2025
Label: Musik Gewinnt Freunde – MGF020
Format: 2 x Vinyl, 12", EP
Country: Germany
Released: 13 Aug 2012
Genre: Electronic
Style: Techno, Tech House
Kollektiv Turmstrasse - Ordinary (Lake People's Circle Motive Remix) + Ordinary (Ken Hayakawa's Mondschein Mix) 2012
Label: Musik Gewinnt Freunde – MGF020
Format: 2 x Vinyl, 12", EP
Country: Germany
Released: 13 Aug 2012
Genre: Electronic
Style: Techno, Tech House
January 13, 2025
Label: Freerange Records – FR188
Format: Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 21 Jan 2014
Genre: Electronic
Style: House, Deep House
The Black 80s - Move On (Kollektiv Turmstrasse Remix) 2014 Deep House
Label: Freerange Records – FR188
Format: Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 21 Jan 2014
Genre: Electronic
Style: House, Deep House
January 13, 2025
https://www.semafor.com/article/01/09/2025/the-year-ahead-in-10-election-days
The Scene
Republicans are preparing for at least two years of total control in Washington. Democrats are at the very beginning of a wilderness journey with no clear ending. This year’s elections won’t change that.
But across the country, from New England to Northern California, they will test the strength of the urban progressive movement that thrived in Donald Trump’s first term — and provide hints to how the 2026 midterms might play out. In two states, Republicans will try to defy history and elect governors who belong to the president’s party; in Virginia, that would mean electing the first Black female governor in America.
This is a rundown of the major races looming as the year begins, barring any new surprises. At this point eight years ago, no one was predicting a Democratic upset in Alabama’s US Senate race, but they got one.
The Races
Jan. 14: Minnesota will hold primaries in two districts that can shift control of the state legislature, both of them reliably blue — giving Republicans a fleeting chance to shape the agenda in St. Paul. Last month, a Democrat who won a seat in the capital’s suburbs resigned after a successful challenge to his residency, granting Republicans a one-seat House majority; the very next day, a Democratic state senator from Minneapolis died, leaving that chamber tied. Gov. Tim Walz scheduled quick replacement primaries, with elections following two weeks later.
snip
The year ahead in 10 election days
https://www.semafor.com/article/01/09/2025/the-year-ahead-in-10-election-days
The Scene
Republicans are preparing for at least two years of total control in Washington. Democrats are at the very beginning of a wilderness journey with no clear ending. This year’s elections won’t change that.
But across the country, from New England to Northern California, they will test the strength of the urban progressive movement that thrived in Donald Trump’s first term — and provide hints to how the 2026 midterms might play out. In two states, Republicans will try to defy history and elect governors who belong to the president’s party; in Virginia, that would mean electing the first Black female governor in America.
This is a rundown of the major races looming as the year begins, barring any new surprises. At this point eight years ago, no one was predicting a Democratic upset in Alabama’s US Senate race, but they got one.
The Races
Jan. 14: Minnesota will hold primaries in two districts that can shift control of the state legislature, both of them reliably blue — giving Republicans a fleeting chance to shape the agenda in St. Paul. Last month, a Democrat who won a seat in the capital’s suburbs resigned after a successful challenge to his residency, granting Republicans a one-seat House majority; the very next day, a Democratic state senator from Minneapolis died, leaving that chamber tied. Gov. Tim Walz scheduled quick replacement primaries, with elections following two weeks later.
snip
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: London
Home country: US/UK/Sweden
Current location: Stockholm, Sweden
Member since: Sun Jul 1, 2018, 06:25 PM
Number of posts: 47,156