Daily Archives: November 18, 2023

FXs limited series A Murder at the End of the Worldis now streaming on Hulu. This murder mystery follows Darby Hart, a Gen Z Sherlock Holmes, as she finds herself invited to an exclusive retreat by a tech mogul, offering her the chance to meet her hero. But not long after she arrives, someone in the group of free thinkers bites the dust. Join me as I recap each of the seven episodes, starting with the premiere.

(Chris SaundersFX)

Chapter 1: Homme Fatale Written by Brit Marling & Zal Batmanglij

Darby Hart (Emma Corrin) doesnt look ready for the spotlight as she enters a bookstore in a hoodie with headphones on. Her debut novel, The Silver Doe, tells the story of how she caught a serial killer. In her introduction, she brings up her upbringing in Iowa as the daughter of a county coroner, which is how she got involved in her first Jane Doe case. I cant tell you my story without telling you about Bill, she adds, talking about her fellow armchair detective who helped her on the case. After mentioning that they met on an amateur sleuthing forum, she introduces a section from the books final chapter, prefacing that she and Bill had tracked down the killers first known address.

Its really hard to fall in love for the first time while tracking a serial killer. As Darby reads, we see the events through flashbacks. We find Darby and Bill Farrah (Harris Dickinson) hiding out at the Whispering Sands Motel, with Bill having cold feet about the plan to break into the serial killers former home, which is listed as for sale. Bill wants to call the cops to let them know theyre going there. So they can stop us from proving that one of their own was a killer?, Darby asks. But Darby gets Bill to cave in, driving them to the home. On the way, she plugs in an old click-wheel iPod and plays No More I Love Yous by Annie Lennox. They both sing along, and it breaks the tension. When they arrive at the house, Darby opens her laptop and connects an old toy, telling Bill she learned this hack from her favorite coder, Lee Anderson, a woman who wrote about misogyny online and was doxed for it, disappearing afterward. Bill asks Darby why she hasnt tried to find Lee. She doesnt need my help, Darby responds as she unintentionally opens every garage door on the block. They quickly pull in and close them all.

(Eric Liebowitz/FX)

In the basement, Darby and Bill put on safety equipment, using a drill and sledgehammer to break open the cement flooring, which seems to have been redone. They tire themselves out and eventually lay down for a break, falling asleep. The sunlight through the windows and dogs barking in the neighborhood wake Darby up. And now, with more light, she can see that the stairs appear to have been taken apart and reassembled. She points this out to Bill, and they get to work breaking the stairs apart. Underneath, the concrete had been broken up. Wiping away a little topsoil reveals skeletal remains. Darby pulls an evidence bag out of her pocket and takes out a silver ring. It fits with a wedding band on the corpses finger. But the moment of victory is interrupted by footsteps upstairs. The door to the basement opens. A mans silhouette looks down at them. Hes holding a gun. Patricia Bell, Darby says, the name of one of the victims. Carmen Perez, Bill joins her. They alternate saying the names of his victims. And then the gun cocks. Bill steps in front of Darby as we hear a shot fired.

I think thats all I can handle for one night, Darby says, unable to finish reading the rest of the final chapter. A moderator (Maria Taylor) opens the floor for questions. The first is from a man with dark hair (Louis Cancelmi) who points out that the book is dedicated to Lee Anderson. Darby explains that Lee was one of the few female coders she was aware of when she got into the hobby and adds that Lee got victory after being doxed by marrying Andy Ronson, The king of tech. A woman (Alexandra Seal) asks Darby what happened to Bill, adding that they seemed so in love. We dont get to hear Darbys response.

(Eric Liebowitz/FX)

When Darby gets home, she goes to her regular forum, The Doe Files, and begins to look through a folder of evidence from someone seeking help. She falls asleep doing this, but is awoken by a text message from someone claiming to be Ray, Andy Ronsons assistant, which comes with a link to download a VPN. She opens a Reddit thread for hackers and posts a screenshot of the message, asking for advice on if it's legit. She gets a dual video call from two of her hacker friends, Leddewis_07 (Dave Murgittroyd) and Bodega Tom (Eric R. Williams), who convince her to take a chance and click the link. After downloading and opening the app, she hears a voice saying, Darby, Im outside; let me up. She goes to the window, and the courtyard outside the building appears empty. But when she holds up her phone, through the camera, she sees Ray (Edoardo Ballerini) for the first time. She lets him in and opens her door, watching him.

Ray, an A.I. assistant, came to invite Darby to Andy Ronsons 2023 retreat, describing it as A small gathering of minds, a symposium to discuss technologys role in ensuring a human future. All expenses would be paid for the week-long trip. Darby is speechless, to which Ray mentions that Andy has shown him many things that left him speechless. Among the list is The Simpsons, which Darby says she loves. You felt a kinship to Lisa, Ray predicts, saying, Its hard being the smartest person in most rooms. He adds that she wont feel alone on the trip, with other attendees just as fascinating as Lisa Simpson. Darby asks if Lee Andersen will be there. After Ray leaves, Darby calls her dad (Neal Huff) to tell him about the invitation. He asks where the retreat is, and she tells him its a secret for security reasons. He encourages her to go, but she reminds him that she had a panic attack the only time she flew in an airplane.

(Eric Liebowitz/FX)

Arriving at the private plane, Darby is surprised to see a familiar face, the man who asked about her books dedication at her reading. He introduces himself as Todd, Andy Ronsons head of security. The interior of the plane is decorated like a study, complete with books on the shelf and a bar. Darby takes a seat next to a woman named Lu Mei (Joan Chen), who warns her that she gets sick when she flies and warns that Darby is in the splash zone, which doesnt seem to bother her. The man sitting across from Darby, Martin Mitchell (Jermaine Fowler), recognizes Darby and holds up the book hes reading The Silver Doe. Martin is a filmmaker who shares that hes been interested in making a story about the missing Black women in Washington, D.C., where hes from. Lu Mei hears Martins introduction and tells him shes a fan of his films. He tells her she should read Darbys book, referring to her as Gen Z Sherlock Holmes. A snobbish man named David Alvarez (Ral Esparza) brags about how hes one of Andys guests, mentioning that of the 10 invitees, 5 are by Andy, and 5 are by Lee. Back in the day, the distinction between builders and non-builders was very important, he says, referring to builders as problem solvers of Actual value. A flight attendant (Asha Etchison) moves through the cabin collecting cell phones, which is a mandate of the experience. Martin adds that its for Andys security since hes had more attempts on his life than any head of state. A woman, Sian Cruise (Alice Braga), adds that Andy has a flare for the dramatic. Martin points to an image of Bill Farrah in Darbys book and asks if hes the Bill Farrah, the artist known as Fangs. Ithink it is, but we havent spoken in 6 years, she responds. Lu Mei takes a sleeping pill, and Darby asks for one.

During the flight, Darby has a nightmarish flashback. Shes back in the motel, waking up to find herself alone. The keys to the car are on the nightstand. She can hear dripping water from the bathroom, so she investigates. The tub is full of blood-red water. A message has been left for her on the mirror. I think this is both too much and not enough. I left you the car.

Darby wakes up as the wheels touch down in a wintery landscape. The Pilot (Jackson Loo) announces that theyve arrived in Iceland. Darby shares an SUV with Lu Mei, who tells her she builds smart cities in China. The cars arrive at a two-story circular building. Most of the guests arrived in fancy black SUVs, but a guest named Rohan (Javed Khan) drove himself in a beat-up blue truck.

Marius (Christopher Gurr), the hotel manager, welcomes each guest as they step into the lobby. Darby is given a ring key, which will grant her access to her guest room (number 8), plus the spas, baths, and interior/exterior common areas. Inside her room, she discovers that Ray is present throughout the resort. With a pair of Ronson Vision glasses on her nightstand, she can see Ray, and any other information he can share with her. He provides her with a dossier of the guests she will be seated between at dinner David Alvarez, one of the top venture capitalists in the world, and Dr. Sian Cruise, who is pioneering lunar colonization. Before heading to dinner, Darby goes to the bathroom and dyes her hair pink.

On her way to dinner, Darby passes a woman named Eva (Britian Seibert) outside of a room with a vacuum and a plate. A child opens the door and invites her in. As Darby passes, she gets her first glimpse of Lee Andersen (Brit Marling), who is on the floor cleaning up a broken plate. Darby proceeds to the dining room and takes her seat between David and Sian. The seat directly across from her is empty. Sian is engaged in a conversation with a man named Oliver (Ryan J. Haddad) about how he can make her appear to say anything with deepfake technology, showing an example and revealing that he snuck a phone in. This was not an easy group to assemble, so the next few days are going to be very precious, Andy Ronson (Clive Owen) declares as he makes his introduction. The boy Darby saw in the hallway comes running to him, shouting, Dad! Andy introduces his son Zoomer (Kellan Tetlow) to the group as Lee arrives close behind their child, kissing her husband. I hope you all feel at home here, Lee shares. Andy picked this valley for the hot springs, so I hope you all join us for a soak after dinner. As Andy mentions the close friends hes made at these retreats, he motions to Sian, who nods knowingly. He adds that some of the worlds best innovations have come from these meetings. He takes a moment to acknowledge Ray, saying hes in a beta testing phase this week and giving his preferred acronym for A.I. Alternative Intelligence. Andy shares why theyre all in Iceland, referring to it as one of the last great wilderness areas left on Earth and preaching about climate change and his hope for Zoomers future. Everyone sitting here at this table is an original thinker, Andy adds, pointing out the talents among them: Oliver is innovating robotics, Ziba (Pegah Ferydoni) is pioneering message encryption, and Sian is leading efforts to colonize the moon. Everyone Ive invited here has something extraordinary to offer the group, Andy concludes. And if Lee invited you, I have no idea what youre doing here. Andys invitees laugh while Lee looks embarrassed.

(FX)

Someone sits in the seat across from Darby. She looks up from her drink and freezes. She chokes from the shock. Andy asks Lee to make a toast, a speech that concludes with To finding a way out. Darby doesnt clink glasses with anyone but sips water to try and catch her breath. Hello, Darby Hart, the man across from her says. Hi, Bill, she quietly replies. Their uncomfortable reunion is interrupted by Zoomer, who has a toy doctor kit and introduces himself to Bill, who plays along, letting the child check his breathing. Zoomer says Bills heart is beating fast, and he tells Zoomer that hes having trouble with his chest due to the cold. Here, Ill give you something to help, Zoomer says, offering some pretend pills. Andy calls Zoomer to sit down. Bills eyes move to Lee at the opposite end of the table. She looks nervous.

After dinner, Darby goes to the spa and enters the hot springs. Ziba introduces herself, admitting that she only came to the retreat in hopes of meeting Fangs, whom shes a fan of. She tried to connect with him previously, but her messages were ignored. Ziba doesnt think very highly of Andy, scoffing about his extreme wealth, but Martin interjects, calling Ziba a bad influence. He feels like this week is an audition for him. Ziba asks why Andy would be interested in Darby and Martin theorizes that hes a true-crime fan. Martin tells Ziba that Darbys book is about a road trip with Fangs. You knew him?, she asks, suddenly very interested in Darby. A long time ago, Darby clarifies as she excuses herself.

(Lilja Jons/FX)

Not up for the icebreaker?, Bill asks as Darby passes him in the hall. Her immediate reaction is to punch him in the gut, but she seems to regret it instantly, inviting him for a drink. Instead, he suggests they take a walk. Outside, Bill tells Darby that he loved her book, particularly the parts about her upbringing before she met him. I always worried there was something cheap about what we did together or salacious, he says. I was stupid. You wanted to make sure no one fell through the cracks. I thought the book was art. Darby is surprised. I guess as one of the most celebrated guerilla artists alive, you would be the arbiter, she responds. She asks why Bill came. He mentions an art installation he did that shone a negative spotlight on Silicon Valley. I guess Andy thought I had nerve, he says, but Darby can tell hes lying. Its hard to put anything but the truth past you, he remembers out loud. He tells her he came for Lee. Darby is confused about how Bill knows her. Whyd you leave?, she asks him directly. You scared me, he responds, elaborating that he couldnt be as brave as she needed him to be. He adds that he thought she only really liked women. Bill, all women only really like women, just like all men only really like men, she replies. So they invented all the professional sports, so they could be intimate with each other. Bill laughs and invites Darby back to his room to get warm, adding that he needs to tell her something. She declines. You know you, left me many times before I left you, and I dont even think you know how or why or when, Bill says. It was really hard to be in love with someone like that. As he walks away, he shares that hes in room 11 if Darby changes her mind.

When Darby returns to her room, Ray senses her body temperature and draws a bath for her. After her bath, she opens her laptop and searches the internet for Lee and Fangs together, finding a plethora of paparazzi candid images of them seeming close. She closes her laptop, puts on her headphones, and puts her old click-wheel iPod on shuffle. The song that comes on: No More I Love Yous by Annie Lennox. Its almost like a sign.

(Chris Saunders/FX)

Darby goes down to room 11, passing Marius in the hallway. She knocks on the door. Bill, its Darby. She can hear Bill inside. Hes moaning and breathing heavily. It sounds like hes having sex, and Darby is about to walk away when she hears a crash. Something knocked over. She knocks again. Theres no answer, but it sounds like Bill is in pain. She runs outside, traipsing through the snow until shes standing outside of Bills window. Hes lying on the floor by the glass. Theres a bloodstain on the wall above the fireplace. Bill presses his bloody hand against the glass, looking up at Darby. What happened?, she yells, but he doesnt respond. Darby tells Bill shes going to go get help. Darby, please stay, Bill chokes, smiling at her just before he goes completely still.

The end of Chapter 1, but FX has given us a double-episode premiere, so you can watch and recap the next installment right now.

Chapter 2: The Silver Doe Written by Brit Marling & Zal Batmanglij, Melanie Marnich and Rebecca Roanhorse

Darby believes the death she witnessed may, in fact, be murder, but no one believes her. The grief and shock of the events thrust her into remembering her own buried past.

Songs Featured in This Episode:

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TV Recap: "A Murder at the End of the World" - Chapter 1: Homme ... - Laughing Place

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The space habitat marketis expected to grow by USD 169.38 million from 2023 to 2028. However, the growth momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of11.31% during the forecast period.The market is segmented by end-user (government and private), technology (inflatable and non-inflatable), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America).The report analyses the market size and growth and provides accurate predictions of the market's growth.View Free PDF SampleReport

The adoptionof reusable launch vehicles is a key factor driving market growth.The term "reusable launching vehicles" refers to a system in which the space vehicle is launched from the atmosphere and will be used for future launches. These systems have the greatest benefit of saving substantial costs, time, resources, and effort because they will not be required to design or build a new launch system for future launches. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period.

Key Highlights:

Market Dynamics:

Major Trend

Significant Challenges

The report also covers information on upcoming trends and challenges. Explore detailed information by purchasing a report

Keg Segments:

Get a glance at the market contribution of the segments, Request a Free SampleReport

Related Reports

The aerostructures marketsize is estimated to growat aCAGR of 6.78%between 2023and 2028. Themarket size is forecast to increase byUSD 23.71 billion.

Thesatellite marketsize is estimated to grow at aCAGR of 3.31%between 2023and 2028. Themarket size is forecast to increase byUSD 14,526.87 million.

Space Habitat Market Scope

Report Coverage

Details

Base year

2023

Historic period

2018-2022

Forecast period

2024-2028

Growth momentum & CAGR

Accelerate at a CAGR of 11.31%

Market Growth 2024-2028

USD 169.38 million

Market structure

Concentrated

YoY growth 2022-2023 (%)

9.0

Regional analysis

North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America

Performing market contribution

North America at 59%

Key countries

US, China, Japan, Russia, and the UK

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by End-User

Market Segmentation by Technology

Market Segmentation by Geography

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers,Challenges, &Trends

Company Landscape

Company Analysis

Appendix

AboutTechnavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email:[emailprotected] Website:www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio

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Space Habitat Market to grow by USD 169.38 million from 2023 to ... - PR Newswire

Welcome to Thursday, November 16, 2023, and National Fast Food Day, which for some people is every day. I do get a hankering for a McDonalds cheeseburger and fries every once in a while, and I noticed in Paris that the McDonalds places were doing a brisk business with the French.

I will soon start putting up readers wildlife photos again, so send em if you got em!

Its also Beaujolais Nouveau Day (the vintage of this quaffable grape juice was released yesterday), World Philosophy Day, National Button Day, the UN commemoration of International Day for Tolerance , and, in Iceland, Icelandic Language DayorDagur slenskrar tungu.Heres a man speaking Icelandic for about 3 minutes. Read more about the language here.

Readers are welcome to mark notable events, births, or deaths on this by consulting the November 16 Wikipedia page.

Da Nooz:

*Several big pieces of news on the war: Israel is inside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, interviewing patients and staff, there is an ongoing process to trade the kidnapped hostages for jailed terrorists in Israel, and Biden, bless his ignorant heart, is pushing for a two-state solution. (I favor that, too, but at this point I think its futile, and will not stop terrorist attacks on Israel. From the NYT:

The hospital:

The Israeli military was solidifying itshold on the Gaza Strips largest hospitalon Wednesday, after storming the complex overnight. Soldiers were conducting searches and interrogations inside, and Israeli officers said they had found rifles, ammunition, body armor and other military equipment in a radiology building.

In a videofilmed at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, a military spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, showed about 10 guns, ammunition, protective vests and Hamas military uniforms, some of which he said were hidden behind M.R.I. machines, others in nearby storage units and some behind what he described as a blast-proof door. The assertions made in the video could not be independently verified.

Hamas, which has repeatedly denied using the hospital for military operations, issued a statement calling the Israeli claims a fabricated story that no one would believe. A Hamas official, Bassem Naim, speaking to Al Jazeera, dismissed the video as falsified theatrics.

. . . .In a news conference, the director of hospitals in Gaza, Muhammad Zaqout, said that Israeli forces entered the Al-Shifa medical complex around 2 a.m. on the northern side, specifically targeting the ground floor of the surgery building.

At around the same time last night, the Israeli military announced that it was carrying out a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area of the hospital.

No word on whether there are tunnels underneath Al-Shifa.

Heres that one-shot video:

The two-state solution:

President Biden said on Wednesday that the endpoint of the Israel-Hamas conflict has to be aPalestinianstate that is real, existing alongside an Israeli one.

He added that he and his aides have been negotiating with Arab nations on next steps, but did not give any details.

I can tell you, I dont think it ultimately ends until theres a two-state solution, Mr. Biden said at a news conference on an estate south of San Francisco after his summit with Xi Jinping, Chinas leader.

Mr. Biden and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken have been publicly emphasizing the need for a two-state solution in recent days. The establishment of a Palestinian state has long been a U.S. policy goal, but no recent administration has succeeded in making any substantial headway on the issue. The last major push along those lines came from John Kerry when he was secretary of state in the Obama administration.

Mr. Biden said he did not have a specific idea of when to tell Israel it should halt its war in Gaza. He said the fighting would end once Hamas could no longer do horrific things to Israelis. Hamas still has weapons and technology beneath hospitals in Gaza, he said.

Does Biden not know that unless every bit of Jew hatred and desire to eliminate Israel is effaces from the new Palestinian state, it will continue to terrorize Israel. I dont know what the solution is, but I dont think Biden does, either.

The hostages. This is very good news, especially because the hostage-and-prisoner trade, if it occurs, would be one to one, rather than demanding that Israel release all 4500 jailed Palestinians accused of terrorism; and the released prisoners would be women and children, not young male terrorists.

Israel believes that Wednesdays raid on Al-Shifa Hospital will put pressure on Hamas to finish a deal to trade dozens of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners, according to two senior Israeli officials.

Negotiations for a deal are underway, with the various players working on a framework of an agreement, according to the two Israeli officials, who are involved in the Israeli effort to release the hostages through a deal, as well as a third with knowledge of the matter. Under the proposal, Hamas would release 50 women and children abducted during the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks for roughly the same number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons.

The three officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations as did two other Israeli officials who discussed the hostage negotiations.

The deal, being negotiated by Qatari, Egyptian and American officials, would also include the cessation of hostilities for several days, a so-called humanitarian pause, four of the officials said.

*This comes from yesterday afternoon. The Jewish News Syndicate also reports that the IDF finally entered the dangerous parts of Al-Shifa hospital, said by nearly everyone except the Gazans to harbor Hamas headquarters and built atop a network of terrorist tunnels. The evidence above shows that Hamas was there, but the tunnels, if they exist, havent yet been found.

The IDF forces include medical teams and Arabic-speaking soldiers who have undergone specified training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the intent that no harm is caused to the civilians being used by Hamas as human shields.

A tweet below showing some of the assault as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid. Translation (by Google):

scans for explosive devices and other terrorist infrastructures at the same time as humanitarian aid; The forces continue their targeted activity at Shifa Hospital: IDF forces continue to operate in a targeted manner in a part of the Shifa Hospital area where they are scanning for Hamas infrastructure and terrorist means. Also, the forces delivered humanitarian equipment and placed it at the entrance to the hospital

More from the paper:

The army announced on Wednesday morning thatincubators, baby food and medical supplies brought into Gaza by IDF tanks had reached Shifa, and that the medical teams and Arabic speakers were ensuring that the supplies reached those in need.

The IDF has publicized a safe evacuation route for civilians to leave Shifa and facilitated wide-scaleevacuationsahead of its operation against Hamas. It has also maintained a regular dialogue with hospital authorities.

In recent weeks, the IDF has publicly warned time and again that Hamas continued military use of the Shifa Hospital jeopardizes its protected status under international law, and enabled ample time to stop this unlawful abuse of the hospital, the IDF said on Wednesday. Yesterday, the IDF conveyed to the relevant authorities in Gaza once again that all military activities within the hospital must cease within 12 hours. Unfortunately, it did not, the statement continued.

Israel believes that some of the more than 240 hostages captured during Hamass Oct. 7 massacre may be held underneath Shifa. An initial search of the hospital on Wednesday showed no signs of hostages, but the IDF believes that the operation could yield intelligence leading to their whereabouts.

*The BBC, which along with the Guardian publishes the most slanted anti-Israel take on the Hamas/Israel war, has really stepped in it this time. The original Reuters report was on the IDF forces targeting Al Shifa hospital, and said this:

The Israeli military said its forces were carrying out an operation on Wednesday against Hamas within Gazas biggest hospital, Al Shifa.

In a statement, the military said: Based on intelligence information and an operational necessity, IDF forces are carrying out a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa Hospital.

The military said: The IDF forces include medical teams and Arabic speakers, who have undergone specified training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the intent that no harm is caused to the civilians.

Heres how a BBC reporter mangled the Reuters article simply by changing a word:

Malgorzatas take:

But I dont think its incompetence. The journalist must have been so sure that Jews = bad that she didnt understand what she was reading in Reuters message. I dont suppose she lied. She just couldnt fathom that Israelis were capable of humane action so she assumed that they were shooting doctors and Arabic speakers, not supplying them.

Below is the BBCs inevitable apology, which I retweeted:

Malgorzatas take on the above: A very unconvincing apology. This woman [the reporter] should be fired immediately and a special course of history and journalistic ethics should be given to all working for the BBC.

*Theres the usual bilge at the NYT about renaming birds: an op-ed called North American birds will no longer be named for racistsor anybody else. (I swear, the paper is getting worse every day.)

On Nov. 1, the American Ornithological Society announced that it would be renaming all the birds under its purview that are currently named for human beings. The birds new names will reflect the species appearance or habitat some trait associated with the actual bird, in other words, and not with the colonial explorer who first identified it.

There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today, said Colleen Handel, the president of the society,in a statement. We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves. The process of choosing new names will begin next year.

This change, which will affect some 150 North American birds, has beena long time coming. Ornithologists and amateur birders alike have long wrestled with the historical nature of bird names bestowed by early collectors. The norms of that era were themselves problematic, as explorers tromped across an already occupied landscape, killing, collecting and naming after themselves thousands of animals and plants that had already been given human names by people who lived more ecologically responsible lives.

Some of the birds not all, its important to note, but some were named for people who held views considered repugnant today. John James Audubon, the naturalist for whom the Audubons shearwater is named, wasan unrepentant slaveholder who opposed emancipation. Gen. Winfield Scott, for whom the Scotts oriole is named, led theforced eviction of the Cherokee along what is now known as the Trail of Tears.

The idea that some of the most beautiful birds in North America still carry those ugly names is objectionable to a lot of us, a scar from the past still enshrined in the present like a Confederate statue installed in a town square or a robber barons name gracing a university building. Such monuments represent history, its true, and history should not be forgotten. But neither should it be celebrated wholesale, especially when the bigotries and injustices of the past are too often on clear display in our own age.

I discussed this issue in detail just two weeks ago, Listing the pros and cons of renaming versus naming, I concluded that the downside slightly outweighs the upside, one reason being that the act will do nothing to increase the diversity of birders. As I said:

But I have never heard of a single person who has been harmed by a bird named after a racist, and I doubt that renaming ALL birds with eponyms would increase the diversity of birders. Changing such names makes you feel virtuous and look virtuous to others, but is purely for show.

Greg Mayer added this in the comments. By worldwide uniformity, he means uniformity of names among English speakers only, and even that has its problems:

The groups that care about official common names are very much set upon worldwide uniformity (which of course is the point of scientificnames theyre the same everywhere, subject only to taxonomic freedom of thought). The AOS is going to have to convince the BOU, BirdLife Australia, Lynx Edicions, etc. to adopt their principle of no patronyms.

And of course the non-Anglophone countries, which are far more populous than the anglophone ones, will keep their old names, many of which will be offensive under progressive criteria.

*The Graduate Students Union (GSU) at the University of Chicago, new this year, is already taking stands on political issues, and not very wise ones. This doesnt violate our Kalven Principle of institutional neutrality, I think, because the GSU is actually part of a non-University organization, the United Electrical Workers.

The Harvard Crimson reports that a similar union at Harvard, this time part of the United Auto Workers, made similar endorsements:

Harvards graduate student union voted on Friday to endorse national union statements supporting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel and calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

In the largest non-contract vote in the unions history, more than 60 percent of roughly 600 votes from members of the Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Auto Workers were in favor of signing two statements.

Approximately 64 percent of the union voted to support a statement signed by UAW rank-and-file members endorsing BDS, a movement advocating for the economic and cultural boycott of companies, organizations, and institutions with ties to Israel. The statement, which calls for the end of occupation and colonization of all Arab lands, has not been adopted by the UAW.

As members of the labor movement, we call on U.S. labor unions to cut all ties with Israeli unions, the UAW rank-and-file statement reads.

Around 69 percent voted to support a second statement primarily signed by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza.

We commit ourselves to work in solidarity with the Palestinian and Israeli peoples to achieve peace and justice, it reads.

Now Im not sure what grad-student unions are even doing taking political positions that apparently represent the views of the union when only 60-70% of its members agree with those positions (and probably not many Jewish students!). It seems to me that unions, like universities, should be institutionally neutral, because not only can a union position chill speech, but it may misrepresent the feelings of a substantial proportion of its members. These stands probably accomplish little except signal the virtue of more than 50% of the members. (I dont know what the vote was for the University of Chicago statement, but the BDS movement is historically and implicitly antisemitic, and certainly wants to eliminate Israel.)

Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili speaks the truth (so long as theres an observer!):

Hili: Qualia.

A: Where?

Hili: Everywhere

In Polish:

Hili: Qualia.

Ja: Gdzie?

Hili: Wszdzie.

*******************

From Stash Krod:

From Donna:

From somewhere on Facebook. As far as I know, all but one of these is true. No, the mountain goat isnt a goat (not in the genus Capra) and the King Cobra is not a true cobra (not in the genusNaja). But which one is wrong?

Masihs workout routine that, she says, keeps her sane. Theres also a paean to America if you read the whole text:

Sarah Haider had a child, but it seems to have affected her political judgement in a negative way. George Washington didnt have any kids, and heres an excerpt from a 2017 Washington Post article:

The leaders of the top industrialized nations are meeting in Sicily, Italy, for the annual Group of Seven summit, and this year, most of them are united by their lack of offspring. Five of the seven national leaders attending the G-7 summit have no biological children.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni have no children. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has two stepsons, and French President Emmanuel Macron has three stepchildren.

Akie Abe, Japans first lady, and Britains prime minister have spoken about how they struggled with infertility. Its been very sad. It just turned out not to be possible for us, saidMay to Leading Britains Conversation, a British radio program.

What if someone is infertile, as above? Would you be disinclined to vote for them? Of course Im childless, but it wouldnt affect my judgement one way or the other. I suppose Sarah is thinking that someone without kids couldnt be that concerned about the future of the planet.

This is hilarious. An elderly man is interviewed in a Gaza Hospital and tells it like it is. The reporter quickly ends the interview, and the old man kicks the reporter (second video). (h/t Jez). Now of course we cant be sure this is real, but it came from MEMRI, which has a good record of accuracy. This was on an Al-Jazeera live program, so they couldnt cut it out!

Speaking of funny interviews, heres a satire of an interview of a Hamas leader by a BBC correspondent, both played by Israelis, who know well how biased against them the BBC is. Be sure to wait for the moment in history at the end.

Look at all the subtle aerial adjustments. The second one is astounding.

The March, of course, was in favor of Israel (h/t Rosemary):

From the Auschwitz Memorial, a woman who died in Auschwitz at 43:

From Larry the Cat, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, who lives at 10 Downing Street:

And a predatory worm from Dr. Cobb:

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