The first review of my book is out!

"If you are looking for a book that will condense the political situation of Taiwan without needing to use a microscope, a dictionary, and eyes drops, this is it."

Thank you kindly @BenGoren for such thoughtful words!

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2023/10/05/2003807226?fbclid=IwAR2Zga-LnGoC9gZ5W-pNt3-mC8Du_-6voZnTla17arnQBklRQHuBQHLJTCk_aem_AUrLrjHWAW5S9itVvUBmdMksk3hBBzvAOERQBZYUgSzUFA8kNh58A4BAUulSFbUcqGE

In memory of Darren Henley aka D.H. Peligro, drummer for the great Dead Kennedys and briefly drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, born on this day in 1959 in St. Louis

#punk #punkrock #deadkennedys #dhpeligro #history #punkrockhistory #otd

[ Anna Johnson Dupree ]

https://www.curioushistonian.com/anna-johnson-dupree/

Anna Johnson Dupree was an extremely important Houstonian who never received the recognition she deserved during her lifetime.

Unbeknownst to many, the work she and her husband have done for Houston's Black community still resonates today.

#histodons #history #Blackhistory #houstonhistory #blackmastodon #jimcrow #texas #texashistory #houston #civilrights

One unexpectedly great habit I discovered is that consuming #news is much more comfortable if you do it with a delay. The longer the better!

Because matters are more settled by the time you're learning about them, there's much less speculation and anxiety. It's like learning #history - because it literally is.

You can enjoy all the benefits of hindsight and none of the sensationalism of 24h cable news.

One of the many reasons to favor investigative journalism over opinion pieces!

"I Hope To God I Am Wrong" – Climate Change "Going Through The Roof"

https://www.medialens.org/2023/i-hope-to-god-i-am-wrong-climate-change-going-through-the-roof/

Media Lens takes a look at the different ways people may respond to all of the potentially frightening signals about climate breakdown we've been seeing lately...
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There are two key responses to news of the latest climate disasters:

‘It’s bad, but not that bad. It’s manageable and we can carry on pretty much as normal.’

An alternative take:

‘No, it is that bad. This is just the ball starting to roll – it will gather more and more and more momentum, and it won’t stop. We need drastic change now!‘

The second of these is inarguably correct. The first is the underlying message delivered by state-corporate media that have a vested interest in the status quo, in discouraging us from seeking serious change. Despite a mountain of evidence, we are assured that the crisis is under the management of fundamentally decent, rational leaders. And this is exactly why the level of public alarm does not yet reflect the terrifying, rollercoaster reality depicted in the soaring and crashing graphs measuring temperatures and ice coverage.

Professor Bill McGuire, Emeritus Professor of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at University College London, tweeted last month:

"I hope to God I am wrong, but to me it is looking increasingly as if we have reached some sort of tipping point, with the global temperature, sea-surface temperature, ice loss, and other parameters, all going through the roof."

McGuire was responding to reports headlined by CNN: "Four alarming charts that show just how extreme the climate is right now"

The report noted:

>> We’re only halfway through 2023 and so many climate records are being broken, some scientists are sounding the alarm, fearing it could be a sign of a planet warming much more rapidly than expected. <<

The ‘four alarming charts’ showed that global air temperatures have risen to record levels in 2023. Oceans are also heating up to record levels and show no sign of stopping. Antarctic sea ice is at record lows. And atmospheric carbon dioxide levels hit a new record high in 2023. But many of these records are not merely being broken, they are being obliterated.

Brian McNoldy, an expert in hurricanes and sea level rise at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, captured it exactly:

"I know there are a million people sharing temperature anomaly charts and maps lately, but there’s a good reason for that. This is totally bonkers, and people who look at this stuff routinely can’t believe their eyes. Something very weird is happening."
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#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency