#grocery czar

[jessalynny]

It is my distinct honor and privilege to introduce to you a new title

GROCERY CZAR

Here I thought I found a Pokémon card under a car on my usual walk, but it’s just… so much more

[janhooks]

when that instacart drama was going down i saw a tweet or something that was like "nobody becomes an instacart shopper because they just LOVE grocery shopping" but i literally did become an instacart shopper because i love grocery shopping...

[caraalee]

Peaks and Greens: Pico Island

After three years without any two-week, multi-stop #CarubinTrips, we’re back with snaps of views, food, and musings from Portugal! To celebrate our nuptials and make up for lost travel time, we landed on a four-stop honeymoon extravaganza based on our priorities of rolling green hills, ocean views, a variety of wine, seafood, and egg custard pastries. Our first stop: Pico Island!

To kick off our trip, we flew from New York to São Miguel Island, which only took about five hours. From there, we flew straight to Pico Island. Unintentionally, we ordered the trip starting with the least populated place (Pico) and gradually made our way back to being around too many people (São Miguel →  Porto → Lisbon). We started in Pico solely because those were the only dates available for a hidden gem of an Airbnb recommended by a colleague. This place was very worth shuffling our itinerary around. 

Those views! The house was on the highest point in São Roque, in the central north side of the island, which was incredible. We rented a car—pretty much a must-do in the Azores. And after a long time Googling at the Pico airport discovered that you do not need an international driver’s license in Portugal! It took us a bit to find the house, gather our bearings, and figure out where the grocery stores were. Luckily, our host stocked the kitchen for us, which was a huge lifesaver, and the island was so small and fairly easy to navigate.

After staying in to cook on night one, we ventured out on our own on day two. The tour we booked ended up getting canceled, so we set out to visit some of the stops that would have been included. The first stop was Gruta das Torres, a lava cave located in Madalena, which was on the west side of the island. Driving there was a bit rough and bumpy. The roads around the house were unpaved, and we stumbled upon wild cows while trying to get to the main road. Crazy! 

It was so scenic along the way, so we had to stop to take photos. It helped that there were barely any other cars, so it really felt like we were in our own dreamland. 

Gorg! Unfortunately, when we got to Gruta das Torres, there were no tours available. That was a bummer, but we had plenty more to see. Vinha de Criação Velha was close by, so we headed there. The vineyard is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up black basalt stone walls (we learned so much about basalt in the Azores). It was really cool, and we got some good views of Mt. Pico from there.

By the time we finished exploring the vineyard, we were ready for lunch. The first two locations we looked up were hosting parties, so we wound up at Cella Bar, which was pretty good and had more great views. We took advantage of their wine selection and tried a 2011 czar wine—fancy! We shared a cheese appetizer starring three Pico cheeses. I got the squid salad, and Roobz got sausage. 

Delish! Afterward, we checked out one of the natural pools by our Airbnb, Piscina Naturais São Roque. It was very rocky and fishy, so we didn’t fully submerge but enjoyed the scenery and sun (and we could see the Airbnb in the far distance!).

For dinner we went to Casa Ancora and were met with a line full of tourists waiting for the restaurant to open. Classic. The food was pretty good—not bad but not amaaazing. The popularity probably stems from the modern vibe both food-wise and within the restaurant. We shared the “low-temperature” (cold?) shrimps. Really good! I had the barracuda, and Roobz got the filet mignon, which included a delicious potato puree. We also shared a bottle of local rosé!

On day three, we headed to Lagoa do Capitão and thought it was just a lake we could relax at and have a snack. We were wrong...in a good way! There was a lake that was pretty meh, but it was surrounded by the most beautifully sprawling green hills I’ve ever seen in my life! With cows grazing nearby and into the distance. And, of course, a view of Mt. Pico! LOVELY. A highlight of my life!

For lunch, we went to Aço, a snack bar with authentic food. We sat outside in the back patio, which was cute. In touristy fashion, we accidentally ordered two bottles of wine instead of two glasses—whoops! But finally got to try green wine and loved it. Not too sweet and not too dry. We shared garlic shrimp, and I got a creamy seafood and mushroom dish. Roobz got the local beef with shrimp. The squid was good. 

After lunch, we went to Lajes on a whim so we could say we saw the three big towns on the island. Very cute and picturesque! We checked out the natural pool there to dip our legs and lie out in the sun before getting some light bites and heading back to the house.

On our last full day in Pico, we wanted to try some pastries—you gotta in Portugal. We went to Pastelaria Machedo, and our overeager selves ordered three huge pastries. After the cashier told us the price, and we realized we didn’t have enough cash, Roobz went to find an ATM. Could we have gotten only two pastries. Sure. But then who would we really be in life? It was worth it because they were GOOD. (Pro tip: get some cash early on if you are staying in São Roque because there weren’t any ATMs in that town!).

After getting our sweets on, we headed to Museo do Vinho da Ilha do Pico for some history! It was only 4 euros and very cool to see the old wine presses and learn about the history of winemaking in Pico. We saw even more cool views and very cool flora. Cool all around! 

By the time we returned to the Airbnb, it was raining, and we had to deal with wet laundry, so we stayed in and enjoyed the rain and clouds, which produced a beautiful rainbow we saw at eye level!

Pico was dreamy, isolated in the best way, and a lovely way to kick off our honeymoon. It was probably my favorite out of all the places, and they were all great, so that’s saying something. Next stop: São Miguel Island!

[interest-articles]

The Unseen Consequences: How Green Policies and Globalism Are Harming American Agriculture

Farmers Warn of Impending Crisis as Green Policies and Globalism Threaten US Agriculture

American farmers are sounding the alarm about the hidden costs of globalist "green" policies and rising costs, which they argue are leading to a decline in U.S. agriculture. While events like the Pennsylvania Farm Show and Iowa State Fair continue to draw crowds, farmers reveal that beneath the surface, there are troubling signs. Thinner herds, farm foreclosures, and rising input costs are creating a potential domestic food crisis that could affect every American. As farmers struggle to stay afloat, they argue that the government is neglecting American agriculture while providing financial aid to farmers abroad. This article explores the concerns raised by farmers and sheds light on the unseen consequences of sustainability policies and globalism on American agriculture.

Farmers Facing Extinction:

John Boyd Jr., founder of the Black Farmers of America, warns that American beef cattle producers are depleting their herds, resulting in a one billion pound decrease in U.S. beef production over the past year. Boyd emphasizes that this trend could lead to an impending crisis that will be felt by every American at their local grocery store or butcher. He criticizes the lack of support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for American farmers facing foreclosure, contrasting it with financial aid provided to farmers abroad. Boyd, who farms soybeans, grain, and cattle, highlights the combination of adverse public policy and higher input costs as major challenges for Black farmers like himself, pushing them towards extinction.

The Biden Administration's Failure:

Boyd points out that the Biden administration has failed to address the issues facing American agriculture. He highlights the spike in diesel fuel prices, which has added to the financial burden faced by farmers. Boyd argues that the lack of government support and failure to address these challenges are forcing farmers off their land. He stresses the need for the Biden administration to prioritize American agriculture and take action to address the concerns raised by farmers.

The Attack on Beef and Agriculture:

Host Laura Ingraham draws attention to media narratives that demonize beef production and agriculture. She references a recent PBS expose on methane emissions from cattle and their "high-fiber diet," which portrayed beef as one of the least climate-friendly food sources. Ingraham also highlights comments made by Biden Climate Czar John Kerry, who claimed that agriculture contributes to one-third of all harmful emissions. She suggests that these narratives indicate a global push to shrink the agriculture sector itself. Ingraham further reveals that the U.S. cattle population is currently at its lowest point since the 1970s, raising concerns about the negative repercussions of these policies.

The Globalist Agenda:

Shad Sullivan, a rancher in Texas, argues that globalism is the overarching issue affecting American agriculture. He asserts that global elites use climate change as a pretext to impose sustainability regulations that control production and consumption worldwide. Sullivan warns that these regulations would cripple Western agriculture and accuses corporate agricultural interests of investing in alternatives to beef and pork, such as insect consumption. While Tyson Foods has invested in a Dutch insect ingredient maker, the company's CFO clarifies that their focus is on ingredient application rather than consumer application. Sullivan emphasizes that these challenges are fundamentally about liberty and freedom, urging a united effort to resist the globalist agenda. The concerns raised by American farmers shed light on the unseen consequences of green policies and globalism on U.S. agriculture. Thinning herds, farm foreclosures, and rising costs are threatening the stability of American food production. While events like the Pennsylvania Farm Show and Iowa State Fair continue to celebrate agriculture, the underlying challenges faced by farmers demand urgent attention. The Biden administration must prioritize American agriculture and address the concerns raised by farmers to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for the nation's food supply. As the debate surrounding sustainability and globalism intensifies, it is crucial to strike a balance that supports both environmental stewardship and the livelihoods of American farmers.

[headingalaxys-spicy]

Yandere America with a Platonic Yandere Demoness S/O? Would kinda be funny I think… thank youu ~

They’d be the definition of true ride or die friends. But also total jerks to everyone else.

But they’re both demons what do you expect?

I.E. If someone hurts Demoness Feelings then you’d better believe that demon who did so is as good as dead at this point. Because once the news reaches Yandere America’s ears oh boy. That will be a hellish sight to behold. The same would apply to America if some demon were to cross him and for whatever reason, he didn’t destroy them on the spot then Demoness would be waiting in the shadows to kill off whatever demon has offended America.

It also means that when America needs a right had a woman to handle some serious business like espionage she can do that for him. With ease and without hesitation. She’ll be there to help him out when he is close to having a security breach. She will help him every step of the way.

“Don’t worry America I’ll handle whatever pest it is you need me to take care of. How dare they threaten the Solar Dead Zone and you.” She states as she brings out her battle-ax. With a smile on her face that is just demented as the thought, she has about whom she’s going to end that day and how.

THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THESE TWO LIKE GOING OUT ON THE TOWN AND WRECKING SH!T AND IN GENERAL, BEING A NUISANCE. *Cough*

Going to specifically the Kingdom of Pride to mess up monuments, statues, and even try to claim land just because they felt like it. *Cue one unhappy Demon King Arthur*

Going to the Frozen Zone and riding Dangerous Glacier Bears and causing a ruckus in Czar Ivan’s domain. *Cue Ivan tapping on his armchair annoyed and doing his best not to throw his chair across the room as he hears the news of what the two of you are doing.*

Cutting the heads off all the beautiful red and black roses in Jardin de la luxure.

*Cue Demon France crying his eyes out*

In the Pinnacle of Chaos they dab on trains, in grocery stores, and at random times just for the hell of it. They also let out awful demonic shrieks in some of his libraries and shopping malls. They try and annoy as many of King Germany’s citizens as possible. *Cue Germany gritting his teeth and trying to remain calm.*

In general, these two as Yandere friends mean that everyone else living in Hell is going to be more miserable than they already are. These two are as$holes as platonic Yanderes.

[bumblebeebats]

How does it feel to be the creator of one of tumblrs most iconic posts

Well *flips my non-existant tresses of ebony dark hair* you're gonna have to be more specific bc i've been here for donkey's years and quite a few of my posts or replies have blown up lmao 😂 (e.g. the 2 teen boys at the grocery store offering me a receipt, "Nicholas II last czar of Russia hanging from my ceiling fan," "it Levies your goddamn Corpus," etc.)

[helnick-harshaw]

Shows the Crows would watch:

Kaz: Black Sails; The Witcher; The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; Turn: Washington’s Spies; Survivor; Fear Factor; Sherlock; Black Mirror; Elementary; Mr. Robot; Jeopardy; White Collar; Scorpion; Blacklist; Burn Notice

Inej: Forged in Fire; Cursed; Merlin; The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina; WandaVision; American Ninja Warrior; Alias; Amazing Race; Mythbusters; The Last Czars

Jesper: Penny Dreadful; Ru-Paul’s Drag Race; Game of Thrones; The Mandalorian; Wipeout; Pawn Stars; Vegas; The Witcher; Twin Peaks; Burn Notice; The Boys; Wynona Earp; Supernatural; Top Shot

Wylan: The A-Team; Ru-Paul’s Drag Race; Project Runway; Survivor; Burn Notice; Mythbusters; Supernatural; Salvage Dawgs; MacGyver; AirWolf; Barnwood Builders; Impossible Engineering; How it’s Made; Dirty Jobs

Nina: Cutthroat Kitchen; Guy’s Grocery Games; Cake Boss; Great British Baking Show; Outlander; Poldark; Bridgerton; Worst Cooks in America; Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; Jeopardy; Men in Kilts; Kitchen Nightmares

Matthias: Vikings; Black Sails; Turn: Washington’s Spies; The Last Alaskans; Dr Oakley: Yukon Vet; The Last Kingdom; Outlander; Ragnarok; American Gods; Survivorman; Crickey: It’s the Irwins

[shookethbrooketh]

nightly chats

today’s Big Smile Energy: my booster was fine and i got to go to my friends holiday dinner!! it was incredible, some folks came that we don’t see all that often, and we ended up buying groceries and making our own milkshakes, which was such a wonderful vibe

today’s Laff Tracc: we played cards against humanity and lots of hilarity ensued, especially one of my friends who’s usually more reserved going ALL in as card czar and our token cishet friend (who, for the record, only has access to our channel because we all met in the class discord and he’s a mod) who just comes to things despite being constantly made fun of for being the token cishet said, entirely unprompted minus it being related to a card, “yaaaas queen” in such a tone that it murdered us all instantly and it will live rent free in my mind for the foreseeable future

today’s Sad Boi Hour: i had to have a serious discussion tonight with my best friend here about how our friend group is very susceptible to toxicity and it’s starting to show, which was really not great but i feel a lot better about it now despite it being 2:15 am

sweet dreams <3

-brook

[jxsoncasharchived]

MONDAY, November 18th at Jason’s House.

     The order of the evening seemed to be pizza. Which meant that once Jason left the station for the day and gathered up Kaya from her school, ducking and avoiding her teachers, they made a trip to the grocery store and roamed the aisles for all the ingredients she deemed necessary for the fine cuisine she was going to cook for their guest that evening. She informed him of her day and Jason couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as the little blonde rambled on about geography that was not only above her grade level but also reminded him of things he had long forgotten. By the time everything was paid for and loaded into the truck, Kaya was going on about the Czars and this documentary she had watched on Netflix. Hearing about the fall of the Romanov dynasty in so much retained detail caused Jason to blink at his seven year old niece a few times. It was moments such as those that made him wonder just how he was going to handle her as she aged and reached her teens. She was already practically smarter than him and Kaya was only a child. Though, he truly did love her random streams of thought and appreciated her passion to devour information and gain knowledge

     Just as she had finished changing for the second time and reemerged from her bedroom with a couple music selections in her hands the doorbell sounded with Sydney’s arrival. Kaya screamed, dropped everything on the floor and ran for the door with Jason trailing quickly after the little speed demon. She’d already yanked the door open despite his protests, only because he was trying to instill proper protocol and have her remember to ask who it was before answering and to check out the window first. “Sydney,” came the blonde child’s exclamation, soon scooped up into her uncle’s arms before she could attack a woman she’d never met with a hug. Jason had talked about Sydney enough that she was familiar and well, Kaya was excited. “Remember you’re supposed to ask who’s there before you open up,” he whispered into his niece’s ear and chuckled. “Hey, Syd,” the male greeted and stepped back to let her in, “come on in and sorry about the wild one here. She’s a bit excited to meet you.” 

@sydncyfitzpatrick​

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Vaccination to Be a ‘Necessity’ for Overseas Travel, Qantas Says (Bloomberg) Qantas Airways Ltd. plans to require future international passengers to have a Covid-19 vaccination before they fly, and said it’s likely to become a requirement at airlines across the world. A vaccination will be a “necessity” for travelers entering and leaving Australia on a Qantas flight, Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said in an interview with Channel 9 in Australia. “We are looking at changing our terms and conditions to say, for international travelers, we will ask people to have a vaccination before they can get on the aircraft,” Joyce said in the interview. Joyce told Channel 9 he has discussed the idea with other airlines globally. “It’s going to be a common theme across the board,” he said.

Viral screening by canines? (Nature) Around the world, canines are being trained to detect the whiff of COVID-19 infections. Dog trainers are claiming extraordinary results—in some cases, they say that dogs can detect the virus with almost perfect accuracy. Scientists involved with the efforts suggest that canines could help to control the pandemic because they can screen hundreds of people an hour in busy places such as airports or sports stadiums, and are cheaper to run than conventional testing methods such as the RNA-amplification technique PCR.

$169 bn for 29,000 lives? Study calculates cost of US shutdowns (AFP) There’s little doubt that government-ordered business shutdowns to stop the spread of Covid-19 damaged the US economy, but the exact cost has not been clear. Researchers from HEC Paris business school and Bocconi University in Milan have reached a sobering calculation: the closures beginning at the pandemic’s onset in March through May saved 29,000 lives—at a cost of $169 billion, or around $6 million per person. “Governors saved lives on the one hand, but reduced economic activity on the other,” Jean-Noel Barrot, a professor at HEC Paris and member of France’s National Assembly, told AFP. Virus cases are surging nationwide, prompting many states to again implement restrictions on businesses. “What we need to think of (are) contingency plans to avoid having to, so to speak, burn so much of our collective wealth in order to stay alive,” Barrot said.

In pandemic era’s isolation, meaning of ‘self-care’ evolves (AP) These days, with a pandemic raging, this is what life can look like: Staring at your face on Zoom for hours instead of occasionally glimpsing it in the mirror. Living out the days in loungewear. Wearing minimal makeup because no one sees much of you. Considering an investment in home exercise equipment because gyms are closed or restricted. The pandemic has forced people to spend more time with themselves than ever. Along the way, it has reshaped and broadened the way many think about and prioritize how they treat themselves—what has come to be called self-care. The pandemic-era incarnation of self-care isn’t about buying a signature outfit, wearing a trendy shade of lipstick or getting a perfect haircut. It has, for many, put the purpose and meaning of life front and center, reconfiguring priorities and needs as the virus-inflected months drift by. It’s also a way to mitigate the feeling that life is careening forward haphazardly in so many ways. That’s true for Tonya Speaks, a 43-year-old wardrobe coach from Fort Mills, South Carolina. Before the pandemic, she was always zipping to and from business meetings. Now, the mother of two teenagers exercises regularly and opts for luxurious baths at night instead of quick showers in the morning. She’s happier doing so. “Taking care of myself,” Speaks says, “is one way for me to have control.”

Trump Administration Approves Start of Formal Transition to Biden (NYT) President Trump’s government on Monday authorized President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to begin a formal transition process after Michigan certified Mr. Biden as its winner, a strong sign that the president’s last-ditch bid to overturn the results of the election was coming to an end. Mr. Trump did not concede, and vowed to persist with efforts to change the vote, which have so far proved fruitless. But the president said on Twitter on Monday night that he accepted the decision by Emily W. Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration, to allow a transition to proceed. Ms. Murphy’s designation of Mr. Biden as the apparent victor provides the incoming administration with federal funds and resources and clears the way for the president-elect’s advisers to coordinate with Trump administration officials.

White House plans holiday parties as Americans urged to stay home (Reuters) The White House plans to hold indoor holiday receptions in the coming weeks despite ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and the advice of public health professionals urging Americans to sacrifice their normal holiday gatherings to curb the spread of the virus. While the White House has said President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will remain in Washington this week, skipping their annual Thanksgiving at Trump’s private club in Florida, the first lady plans to hold a holiday reception a few days later on Nov. 30, according to an invitation obtained by ABC News. That follows a series of White House events in recent months that have been linked to a rash of outbreaks, including Trump’s own bout with the disease from late September into early October. A White House aide and four others have tested positive in recent days. Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for the first lady, said the White House would provide the “safest environment possible” for the Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations with smaller guest lists than years past, masks “required and available,” social distancing encouraged and hand sanitizer provided.

Biden brings back the establishment (Washington Post) President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Antony Blinken, one of his closest advisers, to be the next secretary of state. Blinken joins a slate of anticipated Biden national security nominees who are veterans of the Obama years and known quantities in the Washington political scene: Jake Sullivan as the expected White House national security adviser, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the future U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, Alejandro Mayorkas as the secretary of homeland security and former secretary of state John F. Kerry as the Biden administration’s climate czar. Michele Flournoy, another former Obama administration official, is likely to be Biden’s nominee for secretary of defense. And Biden is expected to tap Janet L. Yellen, former Federal Reserve chairwoman, as treasury secretary. Haines, Flournoy and Yellen would be the first women to hold their respective roles. If Trump’s administration was designed to upset the pillars of government and global order, Biden’s appears aimed at rebuilding it with people who have held similar roles in the past.

Police forcefully remove migrants from central Paris square in ‘shocking’ scene (Euronews) Police dismantled hundreds of migrant tents in Paris’ Place de la République on Monday in a scene that France’s interior minister called “shocking”. Video posted to social media by journalists and non-profit organisations showed police strong-arming migrants and throwing people out of their tents, as they removed the makeshift camp from central Paris. French interior minister Gérard Darmanin said some of the images of police dismantling the “illegal migrant encampment” at Place de la République were “shocking”. Darmanin, who has been a staunch defender of police in the country, said that he would have the police inspector general investigate “several unacceptable actions” and to make the conclusions public within 48 hours. The event also comes as France’s National Assembly is set to vote on a security law which makes it illegal to disseminate images of police or soldiers’ faces. Article 24 of the law states that disseminating the images with the aim of damaging an officer’s “integrity” would carry a prison sentence of up to one year and a maximum fine of €45,000. The article has been heavily criticised by human rights’ activists and press freedom groups.

Russia carries out mass raids on Jehovah’s Witnesses, makes arrests (Reuters) Law enforcement authorities carried out mass raids on the Jehovah’s Witnesses across Russia on Tuesday and made a number of arrests as part of a new criminal case against the group, the Investigative Committee said. The law enforcement agency said it had opened an investigation as it suspected the Christian denomination, which Russia has labelled “extremist” and outlawed, was organising the activity of its national centre in Russia and local affiliates. Russia’s Supreme Court ordered the Jehovah’s Witnesses to disband in 2017 and some of its adherents have been jailed or hit with criminal charges in an ensuing crackdown. Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian denomination known for door-to-door preaching, close Bible study, and rejection of military service and blood transfusions.

Son, father farm to feed neighbors during lockdown in India (AP) The garden that Sijo Zachariah and his father planted was a desperate measure in response to the pandemic. But it became so much more: sustenance for a community, and a great inspiration for Zachariah to make a major change in his life. A 22-year-old aircraft maintenance engineer living in Dubai, Zachariah was visiting the southwest India state of Kerala for a family wedding when a lockdown was declared. “That’s when the whole thing struck me. ... What’s going to happen?” he said. “You know, how are we going to feed ourselves?” Store shelves were emptying and plant nurseries were closed, so Zachariah and his father collected seeds from whatever fruits and vegetables they could find at the grocery store and planted them on their family’s plot of land. Coconuts, jackfruit and rambutan, a lychee-like fruit, were already growing there. Using YouTube videos and techniques Zachariah’s grandfather had passed down to his father as a guide, they began a garden that eventually helped feed 20 neighboring households during the pandemic. “We started teaching others how to grow their own crops so that everyone can have some sort of crop growing in the land,” he said.

Thai police to charge protest leaders with royal insult (Reuters) Thai police on Tuesday summoned seven leaders of anti-government protests to face charges of insulting the monarchy, a day before a planned demonstration to demand that the king give up control of the royal fortune, a police source and a rights group said. It will be the first time such charges have been brought under so-called lese majeste laws relating to insults to the royal family in more than two years. Anyone found guilty faces up to 15 years in prison. Protests that began in July against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha have increasingly turned to demands to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, breaking a longstanding taboo on criticising the monarchy. Among protesters’ demands is the reversal of changes that gave the king personal control over a royal fortune valued in the tens of billions of dollars.

China Says It Remains Open to the World, but Wants to Dictate Terms (NYT) After Australia dared last spring to call for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, China began quietly blocking one import after another from Australia—coal, wine, barley and cotton—in violation of free-trade norms. Then this month, with no clear explanation, China left $3 million worth of Australian rock lobsters dying in Shanghai customs. Australia nonetheless joined 14 Asian nations and just signed a new regional free-trade deal brokered by China. The agreement covers nearly a third of the world’s population and output, reinforcing China’s position as the dominant economic and diplomatic power in Asia. It’s globalization with Communist characteristics: The Chinese government promotes the country’s openness to the world, even as it adopts increasingly aggressive and at times punitive policies that force countries to play by its rules. With the United States and others wary of its growing dominance in areas like technology, China wants to become less dependent on the world for its own needs, while making the world as dependent as possible on China.

Lunar mission is latest milestone in China’s space ambitions (AP) China’s latest trip to the moon is another milestone in the Asian powerhouse’s slow but steady ascent to the stars. China became the third country to put a person into orbit 17 years ago and the first to land on the far side of the moon in 2019. Future ambitions include a permanent space station and putting people back on the moon more than 50 years after the U.S. did. The Chang’e 5 mission, if successful, would be the first time moon rocks and debris are brought to Earth since a 1976 Soviet mission. The four modules of the spacecraft blasted off atop a massive Long March-5Y rocket from the Wenchang launch center on Hainan island. The mission’s main task is to drill 2 meters (about 7 feet) into the moon’s surface and scoop up about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of rocks and other debris. The lander will deposit them in an ascender. A return capsule will deliver them back to Earth, landing on the grasslands of the Inner Mongolia region in mid-December. “Pulling off the Chang’e 5 mission would be an impressive feat for any nation,” said Florida-based expert Stephen Clark of the publication Spaceflight Now.

Escalating violence in strategic Syrian city (Washington Post) Violence has erupted in recent weeks in a strategic Syrian city with government forces and former rebels clashing amid a wave of assassinations, revealing the difficulty President Bashar al-Assad faces in maintaining control over areas he says he has pacified. The southwestern city of Daraa is considered the cradle of the Syrian revolution because it is where the first anti-government demonstration broke out in 2011. Seven years later, after peaceful protests had turned into a devastating civil war, Russian-backed Syrian forces recaptured Daraa, raised the national flag and introduced a program of “reconciliation” with rebel fighters. But dissent continued to simmer in Daraa, even as government forces took their battle to other fronts. And the turmoil of recent weeks has become the latest challenge to Assad’s authority, which was already under pressure from a crippling economic crisis and growing dissension within the ranks of his traditional allies. These troubles in no way suggest that the civil war is turning against Assad. His military has reclaimed much of the territory that had been lost at the height of the insurgency, and rebel fighters are now bottled up in one remaining enclave in northwestern Syria. Nor is there any other obvious contender for the presidency of the country, ruled by the Assad family for 50 years.

Uganda death toll after opposition leader’s arrest up to 45 (AP) The death toll from last week’s protests over the arrest of Ugandan opposition presidential hopeful and musician Bobi Wine has risen to 45, police say, with more than 800 people arrested. Police spokesman Fred Enanga told reporters on Monday that “our hearts go to the families” of those killed. It was Uganda’s worst unrest in a decade. The election is early next year. Enanga said the arrests occurred during the two days of protests that broke out on Nov. 18 after Wine was arrested again in the eastern town of Luuka. Wine, who has been arrested many times in recent years, has captured the imagination of many Ugandans with his persistent calls for President Yoweri Museveni to retire after 36 years in power.

[swedna]

Mukesh Ambani has joined the league of world’s richest with the help of a simple formula: assembling admirers for $2 businesses. First he got Facebook Inc. and Google to back his fledgling digital ambitions, and now he may be trying to entice Amazon.com Inc. into his retail venture, already India’s largest.In four years, the Indian billionaire has amassed roughly 400 million customers for his mobile data business. What does Ambani eke out from each of them? Less than $2 a month. The chump change didn’t deter Facebook and Google’s parent, Alphabet Inc. Together with marquee private equity investors and sovereign wealth funds, Silicon Valley tech titans made a beeline recently to invest in Ambani’s Jio Platforms Ltd., valuing it at about $65 billion. That $20 billion fund-raising spree has already met the refining and petrochemicals czar’s goal of making his flagship Reliance Industries Ltd. net-debt-free, giving it enviable financial strength just as the coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on most other balance sheets. The tycoon wants a repeat performance for another $2 business in his stable: retail. He has offered a 40% stake in Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. to Amazon, Bloomberg News reported Thursday. It’s unclear if Jeff Bezos will bite. But others have. Menlo Park, California-based Silver Lake Partners, which bought a stake in Jio, has written a $1 billion check for 1.75%. Another Jio investor, KKR & Co., is also probably coming on board. ALSO READ: Reliance to offer $20-bn stake in retail business to Amazon: Report To see how the excitement is rising once again over a princely $2, consider Reliance’s 30 million square feet of retail space. Each square foot, analysts expect, will garner $2 a day by 2022. On an operating margin of 7%, that translates to $1.5 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. All Ambani had to do was to convince Silver Lake that this Ebitda is worth 38 times today. And with that, he unlocked the gates to a $57 billion enterprise. If the Facebook deal for Jio is any guide, Amazon as a strategic partner might get its 40% for a small discount to what Silver Lake paid, though the reported $20 billion price tag is still formidable. Excluding his $38 billion divorce settlement, Bezos hasn’t done a transaction as large as this. There’s another wrinkle. Amazon India, in which he has already committed billions of dollars, competes with Reliance Retail’s physical stores — as well as with Ambani’s version of “phy-gital” retail. But on his own, Bezos must fight with one hand tied behind his back. Foreign-owned e-commerce sites, such as his or Walmart Inc.’s Flipkart, must operate as pure marketplaces for third-party sellers. The law against owning inventory has become stricter, with discounts triggering allegations of favoring connected parties. India’s competition commission received a fresh such complaint from a group of Amazon vendors recently. Being an Indian company, no such restrictions apply to Reliance’s grocery stores, supermarkets, or JioMart, Ambani’s vision of virtually connecting 30 million neighborhood shops with his telecom customers. ALSO READ: Reliance Industries hits record high; m-cap crosses Rs 15 trillion mark Although still untested, the latter is his edge. The bulk of the 20-fold growth that India’s online grocery sales might witness over the next five years may go to the Jio-Facebook partnership, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates. The advantage for Ambani could also carry over to higher-margin items, the same way as Costco Wholesale Corp.’s popular $4.99 rotisserie chicken helps the American retailer sell a little more of everything from apparel to flat-screen TVs. Covid-19 has been a shot in the arm for Reliance, despite retail Ebitda of only $145 million in the June quarter, a 47% drop from last year. The carnage from a nationwide lockdown allowed it to swoop on debt-strapped rival Future Group’s retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing units, acquiring the lot for just $3.4 billion. More importantly, the prospect of getting stuck with sub-5% growth in the post-pandemic economy is making Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government reliant on an increasingly small number of domestic groups to pull India out of its tight spot. Unlike China, India’s billion-plus consumer market has been open to U.S. tech firms. But when Ambani requested Modi last year to end “data colonization” by global corporations, it became clear that a shift was coming. Any remaining doubts have been removed by the post-Covid surge of economic nationalism. Where does that leave Silicon Valley and Wall Street? With U.S.-China relations deteriorating — most recently over the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy — both need an alternative. In a billion-plus consumer market, even a $2 business holds the promise of future riches, and Reliance is demonstrating that it has more than one such opportunity. To get into bed with Facebook, Google, and possibly even Amazon at the same time takes some chutzpah, though. Chalk it up to Ambani’s dominance of the market.

[thaitung]

How Berlin's Mietskaserne Tenements Became Coveted Urban Housing

Why do mid-rise tenements dominate Berlin? The Mietskaserne, or “rental barracks,” have shaped the city’s culture and its counterculture.

Berlin’s older residential districts could scarcely be laid out more differently than those in London. Whereas residential inner London typically consists of low-rise houses built on shallow plots, Berlin’s older homes are tall, hefty tenements divided into apartments, lining streets like canyon walls and concealing behind their often elaborate facades deep complexes of courtyards that stretch far back.

These tenements—long reviled but now intensely sought after—bear the distinctive name of Mietskasernen, or “rental barracks,” and have over the years done much to shape both Berlin’s culture and its counterculture.

The typical Mietskaserne might feature equally-sized rooms grouped variously as a square, an oblong, or an L-shape around a corridor, with one room typically now split into a bathroom and kitchen (to make up for the building’s previous sanitary shortcomings).

Spacious and plain, with rooms that can suit many purposes, the apartments are essentially a blank slate. That is further enforced by the German habit of renting apartments completely unfurnished for open-ended leases that can last decades. Under these bare-bones but secure conditions, it’s not uncommon for renters of such apartments to install their own kitchen when they move in, and then remove it when (or rather if) they leave.

The tenements were thrown up with incredible speed mainly in the period between German unification (1871) and the First World War. After the old kingdom of Prussia, with Berlin as its capital, became the center of the newly formed country, urban industry boomed, luring hundreds of thousands of migrants. They arrived in a city whose shape and character had been pre-shaped by an overarching plan.

When the still modestly-sized city demolished its enveloping customs wall in 1861, it commissioned a master plan by planning czar James Hobrecht that ordained the city’s future expansion along broad radial avenues linked by ring roads. Building heights within this new plan were capped, and Hobrecht advocated lining street frontages with middle and upper class housing. What was built behind that, however, was left largely unregulated. Courtyards big enough to allow fire-engine access were deemed necessary. Otherwise, developers took the opportunity to pack in as many apartments as possible, struggling to meet demand in a city whose population quadrupled in the second half of the nineteenth century.

As a result of this pile-’em-high scrabble, the Mietskasernen were criticized as miserably overcrowded, dingy places. They were, the mythology went, filled with poor recent arrivals from the countryside who, thanks partly to their living conditions, were not uncommonly rickets-ridden and tubercular. This image was of course simplistic—many relatively lavish buildings of this type were also built in richer areas—but the buildings’ arrangement and apartment floor plans did tend to mean their poorer residents got worse light and sanitation.

Built to a height of five or six stories, the tenements did have spacious, light-filled apartments overlooking the street, sheltered behind often elaborate facades encrusted with factory-made plaster decorations. To pass through the main archway into the courtyard behind, however, was to enter a starker, more utilitarian space, one even now more likely to house communal trash cans than trees or flowers.

The further back and higher you went back in these complexes (many had two or three successive courtyards), the worse conditions got for early residents, with toilets shared among a whole floor. In some areas of the city, the tenements also contained artisan workshops towards the back. Developing a reputation for dinginess, the Hinterhof (back court) became an icon of Berlin poverty, celebrated in songs and paintings both as the heart and the bane of the city’s working-class life, busy with brawls and and organ grinders, damp and sooty.

Given this bleak depiction, it might seem odd that these buildings have now emerged as places where Berliners clamor and pay high prices to live. So what changed?

According to Brian Ladd, an urban historian at the State University of New York and writer of the forthcoming book The Streets of Europe, it was partly a reaction against the Modernism that came to dominate both the Eastern and Western sectors of postwar Berlin. Compared to the tidy, boxy flats of postwar developments, people felt “that these buildings were non-conformist and thus provided more opportunities for individual freedom and expression.”

That idea that these tenements, conceived as dormitories for industrial workers, promoted individualism came mainly from their neglect. Most citizens who could opt for better-equipped newer apartments did so, and division caused many to leave the city. So older neighborhoods where tenements had survived wartime bombing started to hollow out. Many Mietskasernen became available for squatting, attracting an alternative population of dropouts in the 1970s and ’80s. In West Berlin, they also attracted a mostly Turkish immigrant community that otherwise might have struggled to find affordable housing.

This was nonetheless not only a Western phenomenon. “East Berlin’s tenements in particular were totally neglected by the state’s centralized construction industry, one that was essentially incapable of renovation, even though it tried to change,” says Ladd. “So you had these terribly deteriorated buildings, with barely livable, officially abandoned apartments, and a dissident scene of people who wanted to disappear from sight—something that was sometimes accepted by the state and sometimes not, though the Stasi always knew. There was thus a more extreme dropout dissident scene that you get only in the East, which contributes to the enduring mythology of the Mietskaserne.”

As these buildings were repopulated, their new occupants discovered something that had gone unnoticed. The apartments’ spaces were in fact generously sized and quite flexible. “Older buildings were built with less specific purposes in mind for the rooms,” says Ladd. “They are also a lot bigger than in Modernist blocks because the efficiency of Modernism meant that they could be smaller because they were so carefully designed—so the adaptability wasn’t there.”

People also started to fall back in love with the facades’ ornamentation, which could include anything from neoclassical pilasters under the roof to Art Nouveau masks over the doorway. So many buildings had been lost to wartime bombing that remaining courtyards got a little more light, due to repeated gaps in the urban fabric. And at street level, cheaply rented retail units were taken up for a myriad of community uses, from small shops to art spaces and informal bars, creating vibrant activity in the buildings and the streets they faced. By the end of the 1980s, architectural opinion had swung back in their favor, and Berlin was building neo-Mietskasernen that blended into older streets with ease.

The Mietskasernen still shape local ideas of what a desirable home is. It’s just as likely to mean high ceilings, polished wooden floors, and generously proportioned rooms as a house with a backyard and a private entrance. Post-reunification, these buildings have become increasingly expensive; some boroughs are even buying them to prevent new landlords from raising rents and displacing tenants.

Within the buildings, the hierarchy of spaces has changed. Increased noise from cars means that on major streets, the street-facing apartments are not always the most desirable, even if they are larger. Fancier Mietskasernen have had elevators installed, making upper floors more desirable. As a result there has been a boom in new penthouse apartments on top of them—modern, open-plan units with sweeping views, capping what were once working-class buildings.

Therein lies an ironic reversal. One-hundred years ago, living on the top floor of a Berlin tenement might have been something to hide, a sign of being so poor that you had to accept hauling your groceries and winter coal up six flights of stairs. Nowadays, if you concealed from casual inquirers that you live on a tenement’s top floor, it would  more likely be to avoid exposing yourself as a gentrifier.

- Feargus O'Sullivan (CityLab)

[stephaniefchase]

Barbados will be under an 8:00 p.m - 6:00 a.m curfew from March 28th - April 14th.

Essential services which do not fall under the curfew include:

The uniformed organisations of Barbados

The security organisations

Royal Barbados Police Force

Barbados Fire Service

Barbados Prison Service

Immigration and Customs

Medical and paramedical professionals

Caregivers

Hospital providers

The provision of electricity, telecommunications, media and broadcasting services

The provision of essential transport

The collection, storage, purification and distribution of water

The collection, storage, treatment and disposal of garbage or refuse

The removal and handling of the deceased

From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. other services will be allowed to operate and these will be addressed by Attorney General Dale Marshall, Minister of Health and Wellness Jeffrey Bostic, communications czar Richard Carter and acting chief medical officer Dr Anton Best in a media conference on Friday.

These include:

Grocery stores

Pharmacies

Restaurants for take away or drive-thru only

Shops

Commercial bakeries

Butcher shops and abattoirs

Fishermen

Farmers

Gas stations

Critical areas in the Government will be identified and these will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.

Parliament will meet tomorrow to put the legal framework in place for these measures. (SAT)

[scottywatsonimprov]

This is a slice of history that I think is interesting for today. The guy in the picture is Alexander Protopopov. He was a minister of the interior under Czar Nicholas II in 1917. When Russia had the double whammy of food shortages and high inflation, the average person couldn’t afford to buy groceries. The people took to the streets to ask for price controls on bread. The Prime Minister & Czar sent food to Petrograd (increase supply & lower the cost) but Protopopov blocked the shipment. He wanted the people to riot so that he could use The Imperial Guard to squash them and impose an iron-fist. The Imperial Guard wouldn’t fire on the people, nor would The Cossacks and you got the first of the two major revolutions in Russia that year… The February Revolution. I see parallels between how Alexander Protopopov thought he could manipulate the people and how Russia tries to manipulate elections around the world. Thoughts? https://www.instagram.com/p/B9R16_mpg9Z/?igshid=1kv6dwqvwk1fx

[chenria]

I was tagged

I was tagged by @lonyn - I feel like doing one again for a change ;) so thanks for the tag, hon!

Tagging…. @mimikoflamemaker @painterofhorizons @jessaknits @scarele @evilsapphyre ... ehm... and whoever wants and hasn’t done this yet?

Keeping it under a cut for length. 

Are you named after anyone? Apparently’ my grandmother’s grandmother was named Katharina as well. But that was not the main reason. My mother thought I needed a name I wouldn’t be ashamed of as an adult. She did good. I like my name.  As a boy I would be Alexander ... so no matter what, the name of a former czar of Russia? XD

When was the last time you cried? Saturday... frustration and stress and all... 

Do you like your handwriting? Not really... it’s a weird mix of block/regular handwriting which I started in uni to be able to still read my notes... 

What’s your favorite lunch meat? Roasted chicken... 

Do you have kids? Oh hell, no. I just had an encounter with children today... we don’t connect well. 

If you were a different person, would you be friends with you? Haha. No. 

Do you use sarcasm? Ever worked in financial administration? You don’t stay sane without it. Sad thing... most people don’t get it... 

Do you still have your tonsils? Nope. 

Would you bungee jump? Jumping off something really high... with a rope tied around my feet?  ... No. 

What’s your favorite cereal? The wild berry cereals with crunch crumbles I get at my local supermarket. 

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Not always... depends on the shoes. 

Do you think you are a strong person? Emotionally I can be strong. I sometimes fail. Physically...? Not at all. Heavy grocery bags? Please, can you carry them for me?

What’s your favorite ice cream? Cookie dough! 

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Eyes.

What’s your least favorite physical thing about yourself? My knees... they look so ugly... seriously... why are knees so weirdly shaped?

What color pants and shoes are you wearing right now? Gray slippers, blue jeans. 

What are you listening to right now? To an episode of Sleepy Hollow (season 3) on Netflix. 

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? I don’t know... maybe something purple?

Favorite smell? Petrichor - the smell of rain on dry earth ♥

Who was the last person you talked on the phone with? My mother earlier today. 

Favorite sport to watch? None... because I don’t like sports. I don’t even watch it... 

Hair color? Brown

Eye color? A weird mix of green-grey with yellowish spots and an ocher/orange ring around them ... 

Do you wear contacts? No. Glasses only. 

Favorite food? I love baked potatoes (now that I can eat carbs again XD). Zucchini pasta is great, too... Cannelonia a la nonna. There are many things... 

Scary movie or comedy? I say... scary, because comedy these days is so... dumb... and below the belt. I hardly find comedies funny these days... 

Last movie you watched? As in “new”? Power Rangers on DVD... Cinema... I can’t even remember...  On TV it was “The Empire Strikes Back” 

What color shirt are you wearing? Light blue sweater. 

Summer or winter? Winter. Can we have a mild one? Without minus a bazillion degrees and ice on streets? 

Hugs or kisses? Neither? I am very picky as to who can get into my personal space... I hardly hug my family... I am not very fond of hugs and kisses... 

Book you’re currently reading? "The Hunted” by @evilsapphyre 

Who do you miss right now? My family... they can be a pain, but I love them. 

What’s on your mouse pad? A map of Northrend (WoW). 

What’s the last TV program you watched? Sleepy Hollow on Netflix... on TV it was the news... 

What’s the best sound? I like the sound of soft rain to the window. Not the rattling rain. The softer one (but only when I don’t have to go outside...)

Rolling Stones or The Beatles? I like songs from both bands... but I own a Beatles album, so I go with them. 

What’s the furthest you ever traveled? Aberdeen - Scotland  It was one of the best vacations I ever had. 

Do you have a special talent? No... I am a pretty ordinary girl. No superpowers or special talents... 

Where were you born? In a small town in Germany.

[whisperthatruns]

In the capital square, there is a picture of Jack Spicer, puking his guts out, his last words---My vocabulary did this to me!---inscribed in the marble base. [...] Guys in trendy rock bands mope like damp rats whenever a poet storms in the room. Everyone wants to be a poet, even the coroner scribbling on his note pad at the crime scene: a drowned man is judged only by his piers. Carjackers pause in mid-heist to consider the moon. Hallmark is burnt to a crisp. Bill Knott's silhouette appears on every other thirteen dollar bill. Homeless people stand in line for Pablo Neruda. In hospitals, they feed cancer patients Carolyn Forché. In churches, there are giant wooden replicas of Emily Dickinson nailed to a cross. Instead of NBC and CBS, there is W.S. Merwin, the Walt Whitman channel, and Sappho at Nite. The Constitution was written by Tristan Tzara. All men are created equal under Dada. The drug czar makes sure everyone gets enough. Lucille Clifton for President! Charlie Parker is the national bird. Howl is recited before pro football games. You can pay for groceries with words. 

Jeffrey McDaniel, “Poetry Nation”