Official Movie Release and Premiere Timing Reconsidered
The 25th James Bond movie and the last one to star Daniel Craig “No Time to Die” has officially been delayed. The premiere in London was originally set for March 31st and worldwide release April 10th, yet due to the increasing global outbreaks of COVID-19, the movie and production company gave word that the film will now be released in November of this year.
The official word is said to be the result of an open letter written by a popular Bond fan website named MI6-HQ that addressed EON, MGM, and Universal about the health concerns relating to the movie release. (see link for full letter):
“With the Coronavirus reaching pandemic status, it is time to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of canceling publicity events.
Major events around the world have already been canceled or postponed due to health risks. Leading tech companies have banned travel for hundreds of thousands of employees, including Amazon and Google. All before the US and UK outbreaks expand.”
quote from MI6 Staff / www.mi6-hq.com
MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of NO TIME TO DIE will be postponed until November 2020. pic.twitter.com/a9h1RP5OKd
Two days after the letter was written, @007 the official Twitter page for the Bond movie took to social media to make the announcement of the delay. All in all this seems a wise decision as the public attendance of large numbers of people for any venue is in question due to the outbreak and the danger associated with close contact in enclosed spaces.
The entire film industry, concert and music industry and even live sports face a potentially huge challenge if this situation worsens. At this stage both the spread of the virus and the extent of quarantine measures that could become mandatory in the U.S. are unclear.
In Asia, not only mainland China but also Korea and Japan can be seen as initial examples of what could be in store for us in North America. In Europe, most notably Italy and in Iran things have already progressed beyond what we have seen thus far in the U.S.
Ultimately the question remains whether the spread of the infection can be contained, and yet, it is precisely measures such as the postponement of large public events that could be seen as part of the prophylactic response, and could help to prevent the kind of tragedy that China has already experienced.
Trend in Cancellations and Postponements Rising as Concerns of Infection Increase
Click to Buy “The Ghost Map” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
The list of events being cancelled due to fears of an increase in Coronavirus cases and even a possible eventual quarantine situation arising in the U.S. is getting longer daily. Some recent examples include the South by Southwest festival (also known as SWSX), scheduled to kick off on March 13th in Austin TX and yet is considering a cancellation after both Facebook and Twitter indicated that they would not send employees to the sow this year. The huge festival’s organizers must reconsider, it seems, after a petition online has been signed by over 40,000 people calling for the cancellation of the event. In some countries there is a ban on public gatherings altogether, naturally in China but even in Switzerland where there is a ban in place on any gathering that expects attendees in excess of 1000.
The effects on vast swaths of commerce, such as the $2.5 trillion trade show industry are looming large and could have a ripple effect throughout the economy as a whole. The Mobile World Congress, now known as MWC, originally scheduled for February 24-27, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain, for example, which is the world’s largest trade show for the Mobile Phone Industry has just been cancelled, and each of these kinds of large gatherings will mean a directly correlated drop in hotel, travel and restaurant revenue in the cities affected. To date more than 24 trade shows and conferences have been cancelled or postponed worldwide due to the concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported in the United States there has been a total of 60 cases, 6 deaths, and 12 states that have reported the virus. 22 cases have been travel related, 11 due to person to person spread and 27 still under investigation. In addition there have been 45 cases among US persons that were on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship that tested positive for the virus. Information reflects latest update on the CDC site which occurred March 3rd, 2020.
With states conducting its own testing and reporting for the virus, the CDC data will not accurately represent the numbers of cases in real time. There is also an incubation period for the virus that is up to 14 days, thus it is possible many people may be infected yet are asymptomatic. Director of National Insituite for Allergy and Infection Disease reported a concern for community-released spreading of the virus. With all the confusion, it’s hard to get a grasp of accurate numbers.
Image / The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
States reporting cases include: New York, California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently reported that up to 1 million test could be conducted very soon.
By Whatever Name the Prep is Still Valid and Advised
The World Health Organization (WHO) is not yet calling the Coronavirus a pandemic, but reported it has “pandemic potentially” to spread worldwide.
Director of The World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke at a media briefing regarding Coronavirus.
“We are in unchartered territory. We have never before seen a respiratory pathogen that is capable of community transmission, but which can also be contained with the right measures.”
– Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus / director of who
The director reported a total of 8,739 cases of COVID-19 that have been reported outside of China and have stemmed from 61 countries and resulted in 127 deaths. He also explained “But we need to see this in perspective. Of the 88,913 cases reported globally so far, 90% are in China, mostly in one province.”
Walmart and Costco Restocking Staple Items ‘Constantly’ as Quarantine Threat Looms
Click to Buy “The Great Influenza” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores Also Available on Amazon
With CDC, WHO, and other medical experts urging caution and daily news on more Coronavirus related outbreaks and deaths, many shoppers are rushing to grocery and shopping centers to buy necessary supplies like food and water in bulk.
The sense of urgency is unquestionable with images of long lines and barren shelves flooding social media and news outlets. Supplies including disinfecting wipes, paper goods, grains, canned food, frozen goods, and water are a growing demand.
Face masks have reported large sales boosts and many stores have struggled to keep up with restocking. Limits on masks and N95 respirators have been placed to 10 per customer at places like Home Depot.
“Caution is appropriate. Preparedness is appropriate. Panic is not”.
Jerome Adams / SURGEON GENERAL
Below a Costco member shares a tweet showing her surprise at the long lines and with people waiting, even before the store is open. Once she got inside she found many shelves were already empty!
Getting your household ready for an emergency is helpful and always a smart idea. There is no need to go overboard but having a supply of food staples and household supplies is recommended. Ensure at least a 30 day supply of prescription medications, as well as over the counter health products (ex: pain relievers, vitamins, etc). Below are the general guidelines for self protection and reducing the risk of infection. These are, naturally, not bad ideas for anytime, not only in the face of a potential pandemic:
Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Cover your moth when you sneeze or cough
Disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces around your house and work
Stay home if you are sick
Avoid handshakes and touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth in pubic
(If possible) steer clear from people that are sick
There is no need to wear a face mask unless you are sick
Practicing Good Hygiene is key, below are practical steps that if maintained consistently can help to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus:
Epidemiology and History may Shine a Light on the Current Crisis
We must all hope for a vaccine, for methods of containment and for guidelines on how to prepare and avoid infection. Excluding the first two titles here – which are new and tackle the current situation directly, these are some of the established histories and best known works on the potential threat of just such an outbreak like the coronavirus, which is rapidly approaching pandemic status and proportions.
CAlso available on Amazon.lick to Buy “Wuhan Coronavirus” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also available on Amazon
The newest coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19 (AKA 2019-nCoV ARD), has spread to at least 40 nations and sickened 81,000+ people. This concise, 251-page guide to the illness offers a rational, non-alarmist approach from an Amazon #1 best-selling author. (Updated on February 26, 2020)
Learn everything you need to know about the virus that originated in Wuhan, China, including what a coronavirus is, how you can protect yourself, the truth behind some of the most prevalent rumors, and much more. Per the CDC’s announcement that everyone should begin preparing for the inevitable outbreak in the United States, this book also includes a starter list of items that can help you get through a lock down or self-isolation period. Also available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Coronavirus” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Coronavirus is the word that is one everyone’s lips right now. The rapid spread of this new flu, combined with the high rate of infection, steadily rising death rate and ease of international travel, means that it is likely that it will reach every part of the world eventually. You are probably worried that it may reach you and want to be able to take preventative measures to keep you and your family safe.
Coronavirus is a problem that is going to get bigger but that’s not to say that it can’t be contained. By taking the sensible precautions that are outlined inside this short but impactful book, you can stay one step ahead of possible infection and remove much of the danger associated with it. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “The Great Influenza” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The definitive account of the 1918 Flu Epidemic. “Monumental”-Chicago Tribune. At the height of WWI, history’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease. Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research and now revised to reflect the growing danger of the avian flu, The Great Influenza is ultimately a tale of triumph amid tragedy, which provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon. John M. Barry has written a new afterword for this edition that brings us up to speed on the terrible threat of the avian flu and suggest ways in which we might head off another flu pandemic. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “The Coming Plague” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Unpurified drinking water. Improper use of antibiotics. Local warfare. Massive refugee migration. Changing social and environmental conditions around the world have fostered the spread of new and potentially devastating viruses and diseases HIV, Lassa, Ebola, and others. Laurie Garrett takes you on a fifty-year journey through the world’s battles with microbes and examines the worldwide conditions that have culminated in recurrent outbreaks of newly discovered diseases, epidemics of diseases migrating to new areas, and mutated old diseases that are no longer curable. She argues that it is not too late to take action to prevent the further onslaught of viruses and microbes, and offers possible solutions for a healthier future.” Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “The Ghost Map” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
From the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got To Now and Farsighted, a National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment WeeklyBest Book of the Year. From Steven Johnson, the dynamic thinker routinely compared to James Gleick, Dava Sobel, and Malcolm Gladwell, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner about a real-life historical hero, Dr. John Snow. It’s the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure — garbage removal, clean water, sewers — necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time. In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories and interconnectedness of the spread of disease, contagion theory, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “Pandemic” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Over the past fifty years, more than three hundred infectious diseases have emerged or reemerged in new territory. Experts around the world are bracing for a deadly, disruptive pandemic.
In Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, prizewinning journalist Sonia Shah reveals how that could happen, by drawing parallels between cholera—one of history’s most deadly and disruptive pandemic-causing pathogens—and the new diseases that stalk us today. As Shah traces each stage of cholera’s dramatic journey from harmless microbe to world-changing pandemic, she reports on the pathogens that have followed cholera’s footsteps—from the MRSA bacterium that besieges her own family to the never-before-seen killers emerging from China’s wet markets, the surgical wards of New Delhi, the slums of Port-au-Prince, and the suburban backyards of the East Coast. A true story that is both gripping and alarming, Pandemic delves deep into the convoluted science, strange politics, and the checkered history of one of the world’s deadliest diseases, offering a prelude to the future that’s impossible to ignore. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “Deadliest Enemy” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
We are facing an overwhelming army of deadly, invisible enemies. We need a plan — before it’s too late. Unlike natural disasters, whose destruction is concentrated in a limited area over a period of days, and illnesses, which have devastating effects but are limited to individuals and their families, infectious disease has the terrifying power to disrupt everyday life on a global scale, overwhelming public and private resources and bringing trade and transportation to a grinding halt. In today’s world, it’s easier than ever to move people, animals, and materials around the planet, but the same advances that make modern infrastructure so efficient have made epidemics and even pandemics nearly inevitable. And as outbreaks of Ebola, MERS, yellow fever, and Zika have demonstrated, we are woefully underprepared to deal with the fallout. So what can — and must — we do in order to protect ourselves from mankind’s deadliest enemy? Drawing on the latest medical science, case studies, policy research, and hard-earned epidemiological lessons, Deadliest Enemy explores the resources and programs we need to develop if we are to keep ourselves safe from infectious disease. The authors show how we could wake up to a reality in which many antibiotics no longer cure, bioterror is a certainty, and the threat of a disastrous influenza pandemic looms ever larger. Only by understanding the challenges we face can we prevent the unthinkable from becoming the inevitable. Deadliest Enemy is high scientific drama, a chronicle of medical mystery and discovery, a reality check, and a practical plan of action. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “Spillover” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The next big human pandemic–the next disease cataclysm, perhaps on the scale of AIDS or the 1918 influenza–is likely to be caused by a new virus coming to humans from wildlife. Experts call such an event “spillover” and they warn us to brace ourselves. David Quammen has tracked this subject from the jungles of Central Africa, the rooftops of Bangladesh, and the caves of southern China to the laboratories where researchers work in space suits to study lethal viruses. He illuminates the dynamics of Ebola, SARS, bird flu, Lyme disease, and other emerging threats and tells the story of AIDS and its origins as it has never before been told. Spillover reads like a mystery tale, full of mayhem and clues and questions. When the Next Big One arrives, what will it look like? From which innocent host animal will it emerge? Will we be ready? Also Available on Amazon
Skyline of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Headquarters of Deutsche Bank – Photo / Adobe Stock
Great Title, Extensive Research, ‘Follow The Money’ at its Best
Based on its title, David Enrich’s new book “Dark Towers” might sound like an appendix to the nine part horror-fantasy series that Stephen King wrote between 1982 and 2012. In reality, though, Enrich’s book is a true story of financial corruption, with the full title “Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump and an Epic Trail of Destruction.” Nevertheless, the tale is just as riveting as any novel, and is perhaps even darker than any work of fiction.
Enrich’s book, recently released on February 18th, follows the trajectory of Deutsche Bank, a German bank that formed in 1870, helped finance the Nazi’s through World War II, and then came to America in the late 20th Century to get in on the deregulated American economy. And, in particular, during the most recent decade when Deutsche started financing a volatile real-estate tycoon named Donald Trump.
As Enrich makes clear over the book’s 400+ pages, Deutsche has been a portrait of Wall Street depravity and recklessness. The company grew to be the largest bank in the world, with 90,000 employees and nearly $2 trillion in assets. It took on Trump as a client when no one else would, for the bank, as is well documented in this tome, relished in rule-breaking and loaned the young(er) Donald billions of dollars for risky projects. According to Enrich, without the help of Deutsche, Trump probably would’ve never become the ragged edge gambler that he did, and subsequently, he probably would’ve never become President.
At the Heart of the Corrupt Story, of course, is Russia
Click to buy “Dark Towers” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The book was researched over a long period of time, most notably during the period Enrich was Financial Editor for the New York Times. His direct contacts and stories relating to several top officials at Deutsche Bank that died via suicide under mysterious circumstances gave him access to some unique documents and data. During a period between 2010 and 2015 massive sums of money were loaned to Trump at a time when no banks other than Deutsche would even consider a loan, due to his multiple bankruptcies and other irregularities. Ultimately, through some complex maneuvering a Russian financial concern called VTB was involved in the process. The same VTB that was also involved in negotiations for a project to build Trump Tower Moscow.
Due to Trump’s seemingly endless legal battles to prevent his tax returns from being seen, even within a closed trial setting, it is likely that the ultimate truths in this part of the saga will only be revealed once he has left office. Needless to say, along with many other legal issues there will be a lot riding on the November elections for the Nation and, in many ways detailed in this book, for Trump personally.
Aside from the bank’s dealings with Trump—which are now the topic of federal investigation—Enrich also describes Deutsche’s multiple cases of criminal behavior. In a promotional interview the author did with NPR, he explains that Deutsche “had more money-laundering schemes than I can even count off the top of my head. They were evading taxes. They were bribing people. They were violating international sanctions. Look at any major financial scandal in the past 10 or 15 years, Deutsche Bank has been at or near the center.”
Naturally, this all leads up to the financial crash of 2008, where the bank yet again narrowly escaped dreadful consequences by using shady methods of exploitative foresight.
Some Hard Evidence is Here but the Reckoning will Require A Legal Battle
Click to buy “The Uninhabitable Earth” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
However, Enrich’s book is not a dry account of contemporary American finances, nor is it a bland record of numbers and figures. With the voice of an accomplished journalist, Enrich shares a compelling narrative through “Dark Towers,” one filled with colorful characters and interwoven plotlines.
While it is certainly a work of non-fiction, reading the book is a novelistic experience. It opens with the mysterious death of former Deutsche employee Bill Broeksmit, which Enrich uses as the starting point to unravel the bank’s incredible history—one that spans interactions with everyone from Trump to Russian oligarchs.
As aforementioned, “Dark Towers” is an entirely true story, but that just makes it all the more twisted. It is a telling tale for the post-truth age: a story of power constructs and hard-to-digest realities that will leave you second-guessing the burden of knowing the cold hard facts.
David Enrich is the Financial Editor for the New York Times. He is the recipient of the 2016 Gerald Loeb Award for feature journalism amongst other awards. “Dark Towers” is his second book, following 2017’s “The Spider Network” which was shortlisted for the Financial Times’ Best Book of the Year award.
Two authors have made headlines as of recent. Passages from Dean Koontz’s book “The Eyes of Darkness” and Sylvia Brown’s book “End of Days” have begun to surface on the web, spooking people out on what many feel is an eerie prediction to what is happening in our world today.
The first book, “The Eyes of Darkness” originally published in 1981 by Koontz is a science fiction novel. The excerpt reads:
They call the stuff ‘Wuhan-400’ because it was developed at their RDNA labs outside of the city of Wuhan, and it was the four-hundredth viable strain of man-made microorganisms created at that research center. ‘Wuhan-400’ is the perfect weapon.
dean koontz “the eyes of darkness” page 333
Although the creep factor is definitely present in Koontz’s book as it specifically names Wuhan which is the city of origin allegedly responsible for the coronavirus. In reality there are no current facts or evidence to suggests that the virus is a lab-made “weapon” and instead most likely transmitted from animals to humans, although World Health Organization (WHO) is still researching the source .
Even more users on social media dug deeper in attempts to decipher potential codes, one being that 400 in the fictional virus name “Wuhan-400” is broken down mathematically when you multiply 20 x 20 that obviously connects to our current year of 2020.
“End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies About the End of the World” by Brown was published in 2008.
In around 2020 a severe pneumonia-like illness will spread throughout the globe, attacking the lungs and the bronchial tubes and resisting all known treatments.
slyvia brown’s “end of days” page 136
Sylvia Brown's book "End of days" predicted the outbreak as far back as 2006. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ito8rlyJ0I
There are also the same minimal similarities in Brown’s book and reality. The coronavirus which causes the disease now known as COVID-19 has no factual backing that it is resistance of treatment. The human immune system is believed to be able to fight off the disease like that of other cold and flu virus strains, obviously those that have compromised immune systems along with the young and elderly are more at risk. The CDC and WHO have both reported early trials of potential vaccinations and treatments are in clinical trials and are expected to be available soon.
With lots of talk of the coronavirus becoming a pandemic, it is easy for hysteria, panic, and even alarmist behaviors to set in. In general the coronavirus appears to spread from person to person via respiratory (ex: coughing or sneezing) so the best prevention is to maintain and practice good hygiene including washing your hands with soap and hot water and by disinfecting commonly used areas. Also masks don’t do much to prevent infection (only helpful if you are already sick).
Down nearly 4000 points in Five Days in Correction Territory, but Bear is Still Hiding in Plain Sight
At the time of this writing the DJIA futures are down nearly 400 additional points (1.54%) at 25,161. As is often the case at major market turning points there is talk of corrections (commonly measured as a drop of 10% but less than 20%) and, naturally, afterwards, a probable return to all time highs.
There are ridiculous attempts to “blame” the drop on the election, Bernie Sanders, The Corona Virus and even an intentional combination of all of the above to sabotage Trump’s re-election hopes.
The financial press has a similar job to the President, to calm fears. That’s why there are numerous articles that all say the same thing: don’t worry, corrections are healthy, by definition they represent a decline of 10% or more – and are not the start of a Bear Market. Unless they are.
There are articles advising to buy the dip, or to wait a little longer and then buy the dip. There are literally dozens of articles saying that virtually 100% of the downturn is based on “fears” that can be directly attributed to the Coronavirus.
More honest are the articles that use the word “amid” as in “Dow tumbles almost 1,200 points, 124-year record, amid coronavirus scare”. The word amid implying that the two things – the scare and the drop in stocks are in proximity, yet not necessarily a case of causation and causal correlation.
Naturally, being a part of the world economic situation, the virus and fears that it will spread and become a Pandemic have an impact. But 100%? As if all sellers are literally freaking out together about precisely this one thing?
Just as Summer leads to Fall and Fall Leads to Winter, there’s another Explanation the we should All Consider
The minority of the media weighing in, and from anecdotal evidence it is a tiny, tiny faction of the whole, actually mention the most likely and even obvious “cause” for the market showing a very strong propensity for decline at this juncture. The fact that Bull markets always end eventually and are followed by Bear markets.
Further, that the many all time highs that Trump has been touting at every opportunity were, in reality, the last throes of a bull market that was juiced in every possible way, initially to stimulate the economy after the 2008 “Great Recession” and, more recently, at Trump’s prodding, to help with his re-election efforts.
Optimism has been off the charts, and investing and paying insane sums to invest in companies that have zero profits was, until very recently, considered by many a permanent condition that would just keep expanding, along with the beneficiaries.
So, in the midst of all kinds of likely causes and reasons, the most obvious, the most likely, the most logical and the reason that is being emphasized by the extent that it is being ignored and ruled out stands out clearly, like a beacon in the fog.
A long overdue Bear Market has started. Just as with a virus threatening our health, it is best to be prepared if there is a chance ( possibly, a very significant chance) that it is coming.
Say the B Word, have no Fear, as Forewarned is Forearmed
So, rather than being behind the curve as wishful thinking grips us and makes literally any other explanation than the obvious one more attractive, it’s best to at least come to grips with the Bear Market scenario.
If this is the start of a Bear Market phase, here is what will happen next. This initial drop will continue for hours or days longer but not weeks. That will be followed by a rebound, possibly sharp, that will last a few weeks or even longer – climbing and clawing up takes longer than a straight drop.
Then, right around the time that all the articles are saying the worst is probably over, that all time highs are possible even likely, the next down phase will come. It will be at least as strong and deep as the current one and once it is about halfway through it’s decline many will begin to change perspective and become pessimistic for the first time in years.
So, prepare and be safe, both regarding your health, and finances. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst or, at least, the unanimously unexpected.
Originally set for production in late fall of 2020, during a call regarding Tesla’s recent third quarter (Q3) report, it was revealed to investors that they now plan to start Model Y production much earlier, and deliveries could be in full swing by Summer 2020. Elon Musk commented on the new schedule, “There may be some room for improvement there, but we’re confident about summer 2020”.
According to recent news, the arrival date for Model Y is rapidly approaching. However, the specs and relevant prices for the Standard Range, Long Range, and Performance versions should remain unchanged. Prices will range from the Rear-Wheel Drive Long Range version for $48,690 and Performance Range at $56,690. Those prices include include potential incentives and gas savings of $4,300.
The reason for this change in schedule as reported from the Q3 presentation comes from the “learnings and efficiencies gained from our Gigafactory in Shanghai, China” while producing Model 3.
Model Y is built on the same third-generation platform as Model 3 and shares many of the same components, which will most likely aid in the overall production process and keep the accelerated date for deliveries. Tesla has planned to extend their production operations and have already begun installing equipment for Model Y in their Fremont, California factory as well as the Gigafactories in Nevada, Shanghai and eventually in Europe.
The Model 3 is the by far the most popular EV sedan in the market. Bloomberg reported over 500k car registrations for the model, while other competition comes nowhere near Tesla in EV sales.
Tesla’s other models are all mainly based on sedan body styles (aside from Model X) and the shift to a different body style will be a pivotal move for the company as compliments the current buying trends for larger cars. “It’s the body style of choice,” said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Cox Automotive.
Model X is SUV-sized but more luxury priced, whereas the Model Y will be Tesla’s first midsize crossover, which allows consumers a more affordable alternative. Musk tweeted prior to the March 2019 review that Model Y is approximately 10% larger than Model 3 and will have normal doors rather than the falcon wings found on the Model X. Another unique feature with be the all-glass roof, giving drivers an unobstructed view of the sky. The Model Y can seat up to 7 passengers with an optional third row, with more seating and storage versatility; the second row seats can be easily folded for increased storage needs. Additionally, the Model Y’s lift gate will have a low trunk, making it easy to load and unload.
Model Y, being an SUV, is about 10% bigger than Model 3, so will cost about 10% more & have slightly less range for same battery
The more affordable Standard Range version is not yet on the site, but it’s expected to be priced at $39,000. The Standard Range version has a later production date and is anticipated for early 2021. Ahead of its official release, Model Y is available for order in North America, China and parts of Europe for a deposit of $2,500.
All new Tesla cars have standard advanced hardware capabilities with software updates to continuously improve a driver’s experience over time. The Model Y will have Autopilot, Smart Summon, and Full Self-Driving Capability. Autopilot features that have been designed to enable the vehicle to help with navigation, and as well as steer, accelerate and break within its lane automatically, which does require the driver to pay attention through supervision.
There are eight cameras that allow 360 visibility, twelve sensors to detect objects in the road and a forward facing radar to allow for optimal safety and aid in emergency braking, collision warning, and blind-spots. Smart Summon is another feature that will allow your car to come find you in a parking lot. Eventually, Full Self-Driving Capabilities will be fully introduced with software updates available in the future, with pending regulatory approval.
The specs for the official Model Y lineup are as follows:
Standard Range
Range: 230 miles
Top Speed: 120 mph
0-60 mph: 5.9s
Price: $39,000
Deliveries: Early 2021
Long Range – Rear-Wheel Drive
Range: 300 miles
Top Speed: 130 mph
0-60 mph: 5.5s
Price: $48,000
Deliveries: Summer 2020
Long Range – Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive
Range: 280 miles
Top Speed: 135 mph
0-60 mph: 4.8s
Price: $52,000
Deliveries: Summer 2020
Performance – Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive
Range: 280 miles
Top Speed: 150 mph
0-60 mph: 3.5s
Price: $61,000
Deliveries: Summer 2020
Tesla Model Y
Tesla EV-brand Upper Hand with Crossover Competition
Crossover cars, which function a lot like family-sized SUVs, have long been produced by gas-engine automakers, and these same companies have also attempted to sell electrical versions of these vehicles.
Some current EV crossovers are already in the marketplace (I- Pace from Jaguar, Niro EV from Kia, e-Tron from Audi, Leaf S Plus from Nissan, Bolt by Chevy, and Kona Electric from Hyundai). Ford with a “Mustang-inspired” EV crossover SUV. However, because they are primarily known as internal combustion engine (ICE) makers, their EV sales tank compared to their ICE vehicle sales.
Tesla can and most likely will take advantage of perfecting the missteps and limitations of their competitors. The standout between Tesla and other EV crossovers is that Tesla is still the only company solely focused on electric versus other gas-powered or ICE counterparts. Thus, Tesla has an advantage as they enter the crossover arena with Model Y because of their notoriety for producing all-electric vehicles.
Arguably, Tesla’s price range was one of the biggest obstacles in its way in regards to selling EVs to the general public. This predicted affordability touted by a brand name for prestige EV production is going to make going ‘all-electric,’ an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel, all the more possible for everyone.
And, no, this is not a Conspiracy to Stop Trump from Getting Re-elected
This week, so far, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost over 1900 points in two days. Although the percentages were not record breaking the point totals qualified as the third and fourth highest loses ever. In the S&P the two day loss percentage was the largest since 2015: 6.3%, while the dollar calculation in market value for that same index was $1.7 trillion, as tabulated by S&P Dow Jones Indices.
In addition to the supposed calculations above the an all time record low for the 10-year Treasury yield was also noted. It is possible that in some cosmic way all of these factors played a role, except perhaps Trump’s delusional conspiracy theory.
You can be sure that if the market continues to decline in a prototypical Bear market pattern, the President will twist this theory and any other that comes to mind in an effort to blame anyone and anything. And, in truth, the coming issues trace back to the stimulus “rescue” actions (TARP) taken in 2008 and many actions not taken since. However, that does not absolve the current occupant of the White House of his ill-advised self-congratulations each time the market made new highs.
There is a perverse tendency to ascribe correlation to virtually anything that is negative in the news on a given day to a concurrent stock market decline. The same bad news on a day the markets rise suddenly morphs into strong “shrugging off” of the “headwinds” or are seen as proof of a “resilient” bullish potential.
From the Ridiculous to the Sublime, Creative Explanations for the Consecutive Down Days Abound
How about Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders causing $1.7 trillion in losses by threatening to become the democratic nominee – which could happen maybe in July? Or it’s just a “Black Swan” out of nowhere a one in a trillion event that is aimed at some specific detail in your life – like Trump projecting that this is all a plot to ruin his re-election hope. All just reasons to pretend that Bull markets are not followed, inevitably, by Bear markets, which, unfortunately they always are.
However, as counterweight to that pattern of assuming a correlation where there is none, are other facts. Such as the fact that the Coronavirus has been known and killing people for months and during that entire time the markets have risen substantially.
And, further, these kinds of superficial causality explanations fail to add context of anything beyond news stories. For example, this has been a nearly 11 year Bull market, the longest in history and more than twice as long as the 4.5 year average.
The measurements that show a likely peak in sentiment and a potential end (bull markets are always followed by bear markets, without exception) to the climb have been flashing red for some time. Of course, since many pundits are invested, literally, in an endless continuation of rising stock prices, there are those that argue that there were several tiny baby bear markets during the last decade, which would negate the longest ever status.
Many indicators and the wise predictors among asset managers are pointing towards at least a drop of 38% likely, which would qualify as a Bear market, but that is also a very conservative estimate.
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Further, if available data and common sense are taken into consideration, it is possible that the markets could regain what has been lost in the last week and once again enter positive territory for the year. It is not likely, however, that any such bounce would be anything beyond a temporary respite before the Bear is back.
And the Cornavirus? We all hope that it will be contained and we can all rest a little easier. But don’t plan on stocks having a lock on the ups and downs of that saga, anymore that they are trading in lock-step with the trade war with China, for example. It is absolutely possible that both of those issues could be resolved and have no positive impact on stock prices whatsoever. Of course, if that happened there would be a new convenient scapegoat waiting in the wings.
All that being said, for anyone holding substantial sums in the markets, or if you happen to be an incumbent President, there is a dose of double trouble in the wind. Both the rapid plunge in stock prices and the rise of a potential global pandemic are negative and scary. One just doesn’t happen to be the cause of the other.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter February 21st to share and clarify a few details about the upcoming Cybertruck. One such change will be the dimensions to the body width, originally set for 84 inches shown during the unveiling in November 2019, will actually be closer to 82 inches. The adjusted dimensions of the truck will allow owners to more easily fit their pickup into most standard size garages.
He spoke how the EV Cybertruck’s active ride height and active damping systems are “game-changing”.
Current Cybertruck Dimensions- Width: 82″, Height: 75″, Length: 225-231″, and Wheelbase: 149.9″.
Also noted by Musk, all Cybertruck models will come standard with the innovative upper laser blade lights that illuminate the top of the windshield.
Btw, in some prior tweets I’d said production Cybertruck would be ~80” wide (vs ~84” body width at unveil). This is slightly too small. Will be closer to 82”, but come standard with upper laser blade lights.
When asked about a payload/towing calculator, the co-founder revealed that the EV pickup truck will indeed have features to indicate real-time changes in acceleration, braking, cornering, speed, range, elevation changes and towing and drag impact.
The payload and towing calculator will be a valuable feature for owners to understand and assist them in any necessary towing adjustments to achieve the optimal truck driving experience.
Yes, will also show real-time changes to max acceleration, braking, cornering, speed on gradient & range, latter factoring in route elevation changes & cargo or tow mass & drag impact
According to Cybertruck Owners Club, there is some indication that over 500,000 pre-orders have already been booked (an average of nearly 6,000 daily) – this is the result of calculations based on Tesla’s pre-order numbering system and with members sharing their reservation number. The EV pickup will be seen on the road in the next couple of years and with such high pre-orders its clear there is a high demand for more sustainable driving options in the truck / SUV market.
Production for the Tri and Dual Motor AWD Tesla Cybertruck are set to begin late 2021, with the more affordable Single Motor RWD model in late 2022.
With the production over a year away, there will surely be more updates and tweets regarding the final version of the futuristic looking Cybertruck.
The Press Responds with Extreme Concern as Last Line of Public Defense Against Trump’s Lawlessness
Media reporters have frequently panned Donald Trump ever since he announced his presidential campaign way back in 2015, and oftentimes for good reason. While many in the public like to play coy, find loopholes, and forgive the controversial President for his past and present wrongs, the objective press have done their job from day one, covering the Trump campaign and administration in nonpartisan print, for the most part, mirroring the facts on the ground.
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All throughout the sexual allegations, the Mueller Report debacle, tax evasion accusations, and more, Trump has managed to weasel his way out of facing consequences and the press has dutifully reported on each occasion with measured impartiality. Bending over backwards, as it were, even as he attacked with cries of “fake news” and even singled out individual reports for his ire.
By 2017 the word “lie” in describing the, well, lies of Trumps tweets and speeches became commonplace. There was little alternative language that would suffice.
Recently, however, ever since the Senate acquitted Trump during the impeachment trial, there has been a second change in the press’ language and a shift in the media zeitgeist.
Because all evidence pointed to Trump’s guilt in soliciting election interference from Ukraine, yet he still got off scot free, many reporters are taking on a new, quasi-apocalyptic tone. According to several journalists, academics, writers, and theorists, Trump’s recent acquittal is the final straw, placing the United States in an unprecedented state of post-law politics that demands a call-to-action.
In “How far will you go to save our democracy from Donald Trump?” in Daily Kos the spectre of Tump refusing to accept the outcome of an election he loses is explored:
So then what? What if Trump loses the election, refuses to leave, and the GOP doesn’t make him? Can you imagine a scenario where Trump loses the popular vote AND the Electoral College, yet is still in office after a 5-4 vote in the Supreme Court? What would you do in this case? I am seriously asking YOU: Then what?
Trump has the GOP in his back pocket it seems, as all Republican Senators except Utah’s Mitt Romney defended him at the impeachment. Afraid to side with Democrats or damage their political careers, Republicans are essentially making Trump untouchable, prioritizing politics over morals and placing the President above the law.
Due to Trump’s political record of successfully bypassing legal boundaries, reporters are starting to question where the buck stops. If Republicans won’t reprimand Trump even when the evidence is glaring, then how far is the he able to go? If the Senate and House will protect Trump at all odds, then checks and balances become futile and American Democracy gets deformed.
Even well known outlets such as Salon.com are weighing in at this critical juncture in a way that goes beyond any previous level of alarm – and, bear in mind, Salon has been publishing since 1994 and was named by Time magazine one of the Best Web Sites of 1996.
In the recent Salon.com article “This isn’t an election: It’s a civil war, and our side isn’t necessarily winning” the venerated digital media outlet’s Lucian K. Truscott IV did not mince words:
…Trump also learned from Roy Cohn that you can steal stuff in plain sight and get away with it if you just say “Fuck you” loudly and often enough. I think that’s what Trump is doing to the whole country. He’s saying, “Fuck you. I never believed in your democracy, I never believed in your capitalism, I never believed in your establishment, and look what I did! I got elected president! Fuck you! I’m going to take everything I want! I’m going to fly Air Force One anywhere I want, and I’m going to play golf more often than Arnie Palmer, and I’m going to bellow racism and lies at my rallies, and I’m going to jack up the Secret Service for rooms at my resorts, and I’m not going to pay a fucking cent and what are you going to do about it? I’m going to call Vladimir Putin on the phone and I’m going to get him to help me steal another election, and fuck you.”
That’s Trump’s philosophy in a nutshell: do whatever you want and say “Fuck you.” He’s getting away with it the same way he got away with stiffing contractors and welching on bank loans and going into bankruptcy and taking out more loans and when they come due saying “Fuck you.”
-LUCIAN K. TRUSCOTT IV
Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist, novelist and screenwriter. He has covered stories such as Watergate, the Stonewall riots and wars in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels and several unsuccessful motion pictures. He has three children, lives on the East End of Long Island and spends his time Worrying About the State of Our Nation and madly scribbling in a so-far fruitless attempt to Make Things Better. He can be followed on Facebook at The Rabbit Hole and on Twitter @LucianKTruscott.
Many now fear a Trump dictatorship built from chaos and lawlessness. Especially with the 2020 Election on the horizon, Trump has been quipping about the prospect of never leaving office—something that is obviously illegal in America and more fit for a monarchy. He is likely just saying this to enliven his followers and ruffle the media’s feathers. However, democracies have crumbled many times in the past and Trump has defied the Constitution enough times already, so who’s to say he won’t do it again?
One of Trump’s former confidants, Michael Cohen, has suggested that Trump won’t leave. In his congressional testimony before heading to prison, Trump’s former attorney said, “Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power.”
Likewise, with the high turnover of people within Trump’s cabinet, the media is picking up on yet another domineering trend in the current presidency—whenever someone even hints at betraying the Commander in Chief, he or she ends up fired.
This manifested itself most recently with Trump’s removal of Joseph Maguire form the Director of National Intelligence position. On February 13th, Maguire found evidence that Russia planned to interfere with the 2020 election and briefed his findings to the president. All this was part of Maguire’s job, but Trump threw an enraged fit in response and ended up kicking Maguire out for good.
Perhaps MSNBC reporter Rachel Maddow summarized the state of the nation best in saying “The dark days are not coming, the dark days are here.”
“This is not a warning. The dark days are not coming. The dark days are here, And so those of us who have imagined times like this for our country. You know, who might have thought that heroic thing for us to do as citizens if our country ever took these turns would be to sound the alarm, to articulate what’s wrong with the direction our country is taking and to warn people about where it’s heading.
For those of us who thought that would be the kind of heroism called for, we were wrong. Because at least now that’s no longer the form of heroism that we need. That time is past. These guys are not sneaking around trying to get away with stuff, and the heroism is catching them and telling people what they’re doing. They are proclaiming openly that the rules gone, they will do what they want, the government will be turned against you if you stand against this president. That is not a warning. That is where we are. And so what do we do?”
Waiting idly as Trump’s dangerous behavior and actions are framed as mere potential is no longer an option for the press. Reporters have an obligation to remain impartial, but they also have an obligation to tell the truth, and when America’s democracy is in jeopardy, the truth can often come off as more theatrical and incredible than any dodgy, downplayed professional omission ever could.
Even Democrats are Repeating the Nonsense that Sanders is “Putin’s Choice”
On February 21st, Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders revealed in an interview that, about a month ago, U.S. Intelligence Dept. Officials briefed him that Russia has plans to ‘assist’ him in the 2020 election. Sanders response to the prospective foreign assistance was direct—he told Russia to “Stay out of American elections, and as president I will make sure that you do.”
The Vermont Senator also went on to call Russian President Vladimir Putin “an autocratic thug” and clarified, “Unlike Donald Trump, I do not consider Vladimir Putin a good friend… I stand firmly against (Russia’s) efforts, and any other foreign power that wants to interfere in our election.” He speaks of course of Trump’s close relationship with the Russian leader, and of Trump’s encouragement, in plain sight, of Russian interference in his 2016 campaign.
Despite Sander’s straight answer to the news regarding Russia, Trump was not hesitant to bring it up during a Las Vegas rally the day before the Nevada caucus. He quipped about Bernie honeymooning in Moscow and snidely warned Democrats to be careful about foreign interference in elections. Then, he bragged that Putin really wants four more years of Trump.
Trump’s snarky speech is ironic given the fact that when Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire first informed the President about Russia’s support of him for 2020, he reportedly threw a fit, angry that Maguire would disclose such information with Democratic nemesis Adam Schiff in the room. Even though reporting such activity to the POTUS is part of the DNI job description, Trump ended up terminating Maguire for, essentially, telling the truth and doing his job.
No one Knows Who is “Electable” even though all the Candidates Try to Claim they are the One that can Beat Trump
The conventional wisdom is that only a moderate centrist Democrat can defeat Trump. There are, however, only a lot of theories, based on the standard data, to support this contention and the same people espousing those theories are the ones that said that Hillary, based on the same methods of predicting election outcomes, would beat Trump with ease.
Bernie Sanders does have “extreme” proposals, compared with the bland, compromise based plans of the more moderate wing of the party. Maybe, just maybe, going up against the most extreme most volatile and completely corrupt politician in recent history requires an extreme challenger? Trump will cheat and lie, that is clear, and someone to take him on must be ready for that and must be able to show that he (or she) can survive the shit storm he will create and then take the country out of this nightmare.
You can not compromise with a sociopath.
2016 All Over Again but with a twist, and perhaps, a Different Outcome
The propaganda spin that appears to have been planned long in advance seems to be working already. Viewing various tweets from Democrats who are not aligned with Sanders indicate that they are actively parroting the Putin planted misinformation.
The two threads they have, apparently subconsciously, picked up are:
A – Sanders has no chance and the proof is that he is the Putin’s preferred opponent for Tump (unsubstantiated inferences stated as fact and as original thought)
Or
B – That Sanders is going to be called a Communist (or is a Communist) and that his past, regardless how innocent compared to Trump, makes him an easy target that he has no chance to win in the general election. There are even those that posit that he must be a Communist because Putin “likes” him.
In other words, they have taken the bait, hook, line and sinker.
According to the New York Times:
The Russians have been preparing — and experimenting — for the 2020 election, undeterred by American efforts to thwart them but aware that they needed a new playbook of as-yet-undetectable methods, United States officials said
They have made more creative use of Facebook and other social media.
Rather than impersonating Americans as they did in 2016, Russian operatives are working to get Americans to repeat disinformation, the officials said. That strategy gets around social media companies’ rules that prohibit “inauthentic speech.”
(emphasis mine)
Typical examples of the parroting of the Russian disinformation:
Not even close…tells us something when Russia and trump are fronting for him…
The disturbing thing is that these supposedly intelligent Democratic voters are immediately jumping to the first thoughts that Putin has planted in their minds.
The real truth is that Sanders is the most dangerous candidate to both Trump and Putin and should be seen as such. They have an elaborate plan to stop him but they fear that he will do the one thing that they can not overcome; awaken the American people to the power they already have.
And Outsider Rises Up in Spite of Both Republican and Democrat Establishments being Against Him: Sound Familliar?
The cable news pundits have already started repeating that Sanders, “a socialist candidate” has little chance to win and will hurt down ballot races for the House and Senate. Naturally, they have no proof of this and no idea if another candidate would do any better in that regard. They are parroting conventional “wisdom” and creating noise just like Putin wants.
There are also already rumblings and propaganda-troll posts that are implying that because Sanders was in Moscow many years ago on his Honeymoon (supposedly) that he is therefore, obviously, a Communist.
The fact that so many have taken it at face value that Putin is “helping” him, although zero evidence has been revealed and no details exist showing what exactly this “help” consists of, creates a perfect launching pad for what is likely to be the most blatant and ridiculous-nonsense mudslinging contest in history.
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On the other side is the rock-solid record and consistency of Sanders. People can disagree with his goals and platform but it will be difficult, indeed, to rattle him when trying to sling random insults and trying to make up lies about him to dissuade those who have followed his political career.
Likewise, Trump’s response to the briefing—both his hysterics in Washington and his jests in Vegas—illustrates a subliminal touch of fear. Fear that Bernie will win the primary, which he did, “bigly”, without but in reality in spite of, supposed Russian assistance.
As Bernie leads the Democratic race after definitive wins in New Hampshire and Nevada, it is looking increasingly likely that it will ultimately come down to “Trump v. Sanders” in November.
Trump and the Republicans will undoubtedly try to turn this murky Russian briefing report against Bernie again, spinning the wheels of propaganda over and over. We can all relate, in the meantime to the sentiment of Bernie’s final word when interviewed on the topic on the eve of the Nevada Caucuses: “I don’t care, frankly, who Putin wants to be president.”
Skepticism is Natural when the World’s Richest Person announces Fund without Details as to how it will be Administered
Jeff Bezos—the founder and CEO of Amazon— recently announced via Instagram that he will be donating $10 billion to the fight against climate change. The informal monetary pledge, which Bezos made on February 17th, will be titled the Bezos Earth Fund. It will economically support scientists, activists, and NGOs to help protect the planet in these environmentally trying times.
When the $10 billion is eventually donated, it will be the largest philanthropic contribution ever made towards combatting climate change. Worth over $130 billion, Bezos is the richest man in the world, and this donation will be about 8% of his entire net worth. Even for a man of Bezos’ stature, this certainly appears to be a generous act.
Nevertheless, the hefty donation has not gone without criticism and speculation. Bezos and Amazon have become controversial names in recent years for a number of reasons – conventionally being on the wrong side of climate change is but one of them.
Amazon has a troubling track record of supporting the fossil fuel industry. The company has troves of money and investments tied up with big gas and oil companies, some of the biggest profiteers off of the Earth’s ecological destruction. Recently, Amazon even sponsored an event for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a think-tank promoting climate denial.
On an even darker note, Amazon has traditionally tried to silence employees who attend climate action rallies. Lately, these environmentally passionate employees have formed the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice to stand in solidarity and raise awareness about Amazon’s misdemeanors against the planet. Now, these employees risk termination for outing some of Amazon’s statistical secrets.
Only recently has Amazon revealed its numbers relating to carbon emissions and energy consumption. As the world’s largest retailer, the company naturally uses immense resources to transport products all around the planet. In 2018, Amazon reportedly released 44.4 million metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere—the equivalent of a small nation.
These revelations about Amazon’s detrimental affects on the Earth have led to the company pledging some late changes. The corporation now aims to use 100% renewable energy by 2030 and carry out at least half of its shipments with zero net emissions. It also plans to invest more in wind and solar and wants carbon neutrality by 2040.
The Timing does Make this Pledge Look like A PR Stunt. How About Results, Soon?
Bezos’ $10 billion announcement just might be the bottleneck of all these reformations to put Amazon back on the right side of environmental history. Then again, if one reads closely, the Fund does not mention Amazon at all, and thus the company’s practices may continue business-as-usual despite whatever Bezos is doing to clear his personal name.
Furthermore, some are still scratching their heads about the conditions surrounding Bezos’ donation. After all, the only thing the CEO has done so far is announce the Earth Fund. He is bound to nothing and hasn’t outlined any concrete details.
Distribution of the fund will be a crucial element of the Fund’s impact. As aforementioned, the money will go to scientists, activists, and NGOs, but Bezos did not specify whether or not political donations are in the cards. Although funding non-profits and research can go a long way, many would argue that governmental reformation is the premiere way to create positive, tangible change.
The pacing of the distribution is also just as important. It is not clear how Bezos will go about giving away the $10 billion over the next few years, whether he will spend it down over time or hold in in an endowment. Many hope for the former as the world cannot wait much longer for the support it needs in combatting the climate crisis.
Then, there are a slew of lingering questions regarding the ownership, organization, and legality of this philanthropic contribution. Will it be connected to Bezos’ corporate enterprise? If so, what might be the underlying tax incentives of this “charitable” act? Who will be responsible for overseeing all of this and making sure that the money is distributed ethically?
It would be unfair to call a Bezos’ donation a hallow gesture. $10 billion is enough money to truly make a difference. However, it is imperative that the finer details be executed and analyzed with the upmost care. Given Amazon’s ongoing place in the world and its oftentimes nefarious position in the fight against climate change, people are right to look at the $10 billion with a quizzical eye, and not take it as a free pass to offset or pardon Bezos of his previous and current actions.
Infamous or just Out of Control, New Origin Story Details could Shed light on the Gargantuan Beast
Facebook has been one of the most important enterprises of the twenty-first century so far. With well over a billion users worldwide, few companies have received more coverage and attention than Mark Zuckerberg’s social network, which is only celebrating its sixteenth birthday this month.
Naturally, as the World Wide Web enters its thirties in the 2020s, tech writers and modern scholars in all fields are starting to reference Facebook as a contemporary relic and topic of interest. In the future, we will likely find entire library sections worth of books dedicated to Facebook and its impact on the planet. We have already seen a handful of texts as well as an Oscar nominated David Fincher movie (“The Social Network”) that flesh out the website’s story and societal intricacies.
On February 25th, however, we may finally get an initial, definitive book written about Facebook. Steven Levy’s “Facebook: The Inside Story” is part Zuckerberg biography, part corporate history, part digital humanities study, and part sociological analysis, focusing in intimate detail on the rise, development, impact, and complications that Facebook has undergone since its initial lowly launch out of a 2004 Harvard University dorm room.
Steven Levy is a lead editor at Wired.com and has also written for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and Esquire amongst other publications. He is one of the world’s foremost technology journalists, covering the latest of industrial achievements (and pitfalls) over the past couple decades. He has published seven books before “Facebook: The Inside Story,” including ones centering on the Macintosh computer and on the iPod. “Facebook” is his first book to focus on a singular website, though, and it is the amalgamation of over ten years worth of research, journalism, and reporting on the topic.
Click to buy “Facebook: The Inside Story” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Levy’s relationship with Zuckerberg goes way back to 2006, when the entrepreneur was but a young university student trying to get his inter-collegiate social network site called “TheFacebook” up from the ground. As a devoted reporter, Levy has naturally met with Zuckerberg many times over the years and has religiously followed Facebook since its beginnings.
These years of relationships, interviews, and studious dedication have given Levy a keen insight into Facebook. In addition to unparalleled interpersonal access to Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, the author also incorporates the experiences of other Facebook employees and users into his book, painting a holistic picture of the website from the inside and out.
Levy expertly chronicles the site’s somewhat tragic-hero trajectory, from Facebook’s nefarious beginnings to Zuckerberg’s infamous trial against the Winklevoss twins, from its “golden age” of uncontroversial influence in the early 2010s to its current hot-water situation following the 2016 election Cambridge Analytica scheme and the modern awareness regarding data rights.
Thoroughly Researched with an Attempt at a Definitive Take
Over five-hundred and ninety two pages, the book shares everything in a riveting narrative fashion, but Levy does not spare the reader some thoughtful analysis in the process. Today, we might associate Facebook (not to mention its extensive subsidiaries such as Instagram and Whatsapp) with contentious matters of privacy and ethicality, with grey legal areas and questionable security practices. Mark Zuckerberg’s name alone might evoke feelings of contempt, and one might immediately link him to his blundering appearance before Congress in 2019 or gross examples of an algorithmic dictatorship.
Levy does not shy away from these interpretations and complications surrounding Facebook, but he also reminds us that a time once existed when Zuckerberg was seen as an ingenious hero and Facebook was praised as a platform that could connect the world.
And connect the world it did… but now the consequences of doing so are coming to the foreground. Whether your deleting your account, boycotting the website, or fervently posting updates every hour of the day, Facebook has likely impacted you in someway or another over the past two decades. Thus, Levy’s book is not just an interesting read, but an important one—what is likely to be the first of many exhaustive books written about the network that tethered, shaped, and perhaps shrewdly deformed the modern social world.
Even if you’re Already Convinced of the Danger, this Book could propel you into Accelerated Action
In 2017, climate change journalist David Wallace-Wells published an essay titled “The Uninhabitable Earth” in the New York Magazine. The essay outlined in grave, uncompromising detail, the effects that climate change will have on the planet. Far beyond just talking about temperature increases and sea level rises by the numbers, Wallace-Wells dug into harrowing specifics about global warming, dissecting everything from the scientific to the socio-political impacts this unprecedented phenomenon will throw back into the face of humanity.
Now, Wallace-Wells has expanded his groundbreaking essay into an entire book, with the full title “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming.” Like the essay before it, Wallace-Wells’ new book looks deep into the climate crisis, sparing not a shred of honesty in explaining how the human race will suffer from this ongoing environmental catastrophe.
The book is far beyond defining or describing the causes of climate change. As its subtitle explains, “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming” centers on the horrifying consequences of climate change and paints a truthful image of what the planet will look like once this behemoth comes to irreversible fruition.
Click to buy “The Uninhabitable Earth” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
That image is grim, almost dystopian. The future Earth that Wallace-Wells describes feels like something out of “The Hunger Games,” “Wall-E,” or “Children Of Men.” Ecosystems collapsing, civilizations running amuck, and planetary ecocide leading to mass extinction are all likely climate change aftermaths according to the author, and his rationales are backed with extensive research and scientific evidence.
Even the aspects of climate change that seem most commonplace at this point, Wallace-Wells analyzes with an unparalleled degree of depth and severity. Semi-palatable effects such as melting ice sheets or rising temperatures have profound interconnected layers. As Wallace-Wells explains, a warmer planet will not only create inescapable heat-waves, but it will also lead to heightened illnesses, lethal air quality, biodiversity loss, and migration disruption for humans and other species.
Likewise, while a rising ocean will tragically submerge many of our coastal cities, the book further explains how moving inland will not solve all of the problems, for with an eroding coastline, humanity will lose massive amounts of its food supplies, and our global race will cease to be a people of plenty.
Hope is still Possible but Our Hourglass is Running Out of Sand
This leads to many of the political aftermaths that Wallace-Wells covers in the book. He argues that with climate change displacing, infecting, and literally suffocating so many people, class divides will become sharper (the poor suffering insurmountably more), the nation-state ideology will shift, and more wars will break out. Likewise, economic systems will collapse, as entire markets will disappear and capitalistic gains will lose relevance in the face of Armageddon—a hard-to-swallow reality for those who prioritize fiscal profits over environmental reformation right now.
This is just the surface of what “The Uninhabitable Earth” covers. The book is truly a wide-ranging, almost all-encompassing study of the modern environmental world and where it is heading. Wallace-Wells follows in the esteemed footsteps of eco-critical writers such as Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Kolbert, Alan Weisman, and Amitav Ghosh.
The Economist, The Washington Post, and The New York Times amongst other review publications have heaped high praise on the book, and several critics listed it as one of the best books of 2019. The overarching consensus is that Wallace-Wells’ book is insightful, impactful, and absolutely terrifying, frightening the reader with its unbending image of reality and its harsh truth about where the planet is heading, short a total immediate commitment to counter the threat.
Amazon represents a New Normal but Not Everybody is Happy with That
From a consumer perspective it’s hard to argue with buying things at a very low price, often, in the case of books, below wholesale and with ridiculously fast free shipping. But who is paying for this? Mainly, it’s complicated, but it has traditionally been people and companies that sold books before the existence of Amazon, later known as the grim reaper, destroyed their businesses and livelihoods.
Recently, deep inside the Amazon system the rot is starting to show. Just as a camel is unlikely to pass through the eye of a needle, you don’t get to be a trillion dollar eCommerce retail giant without some internal corruption. A lot of internal corruption. Who knows? …as a customer, you might even encounter expired lemon curd or a used diaper along the way.
Compare this to Apple, a company that charges a premium for the best products and service. And for the caché of being part of a greater whole that stands for something other than “the cheapest no matter what”. Not without soiled hands perhaps, but on the other end of the spectrum from winning by selling at impossible prices. Instead it is a company known for building a brand that stands for quality, luxury and innovation above all.
Somewhere, on the good-guy side yet between these diametrically opposed behemoths now stands a new, tiny, alternative for the book world: Bookshop.Org
A Formula that just might Work, as People Gradually Realize that a Monopsony is Just as bad as a Monopoly
The ORG is important as it signals the true fact that this is a company with a purpose beyond profit and that it is a cooperative venture in nature. The site is founded as a bet that true Booklovers can be persuaded forego a few dollars of artificial price reduction to support a better entity, and still get a premium product and experience.
Bookshop.org is registered as a B-Corp and therefore pledged to place social good ahead of profit. Since profits are predivirted to help independent booksellers, authors and others that choose to affiliate, profits are limited inherently in the business model.
The idea that the thought content of the books themselves can bind together producer, seller and reader, along with the sharing of an affinity towards authors and ideas, is something that has been all but lost, after the decimation of bookstores of all kinds in the wake of the Amazon explosion.
This is also true of other product categories, say, consumer electronics, but books and bookstores were the first target for extermination, thus the experience of sharing a like-minded love of books with a store that will provide them is now, truly, an all but extinct concept.
Created to help those independent book sellers across the country that have survived in spite of the “success” of the below-cost dumping strategy employed by the “Death Star”, Bookshop.org is an alliance that includes the American Booksellers Association as well as the largest book distributer in the US, assuring a vast current selection and an established fulfillment network.
Communicating the value of opting out of the status quo will fall on the booksellers and new partners that join the Bookshop in its quest. By the way, you too can contribute and become an affiliate member at no cost, for example if you are and Author or an Influencer, or if your blog can send potential book buyers to the site.
Finally, For Booklovers who Love Booklovers a site that Loves Indie Booksellers
John Warner of the Chicago Tribune has likened the endeavor to the Starwars Rebel Alliance fighting against Amazon’s Death Star, and the analogy is certainly apt. However, this is more about the option to inhabit a world where there is a book buying choice beyond the obvious and ubiquitous.
Where, in an Amazon world, is it possible to choose an experience that is, in a sense, also an investment in dignity and diversity, and who better to make such an unique choice than the well-read Booklover?
Ammunition on the supplier side is a commission, more like a stipend really, of approximately double the amount a seller receives if they send buyers to Amazon (known as an affiliate commission and attached to virtually all offers across the web), with the extra bit paid for by not being an only for-profit entity. That’s high concept if ever there was.
For a detailed breakdown of the site’s concept and financial structure you can go directly to Bookshop or read Joan Verdon’s excellent article in Forbes.
So, while the richest man on planet earth pays hundreds of million$ to PHDs to come up with new ways to destroy existing competitors – even those that pose no threat whatsoever, you can side-step all that noise and chose to be Hans Solo, reluctant but ultimately heroic, and support the people who love books more than just money.
If you see Lynxotic book reviews, from now on, they will likely have a link to an offer to buy from our Bookshop.org independent bookstore partner cherrybooks who, yes, will reap a small but meaningful reward for joining the cause.
Another Month, another High Temperature Record Smashed
Not only was another dismal record set when the Antarctic hit nearly 70º but, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 145 years of record keeping, the month with the highest average temperature was January 2020. Additionally, the “departure”, in other words the amount that it was above the average, was the largest on record, excluding years where an “El Niño” was recorded as well.
Adding to the extreme nature of the record, and to illustrate the trend, it was also the 44th consecutive January that was above the 20th century average. The 10 warmest Januarys ever recorded were in this century, all since 2002. The four Januarys that were the warmest on record all occurred since 2016.
Across the globe record-warm temperatures were recorded in parts of Asia, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, Scandinavia, the central and western Pacific Ocean and Central and South America. There were zero land or ocean areas having record-cold January temperatures.
Starting in 2020 the theme is no longer Affirm or Deny but Rather Commit to Action or Impede and Obstruct
At the same time, bright spots can already be seen in the rise of the EV and generally in sustainable energy development as a whole. Some regional and International governments have at least set goals for reductions in carbon emissions or an outright carbon neutral emission status, also known as a net zero carbon footprint.
Early in 2020, at the dawn of what is likely to be the decade of climate crisis and responses thereto, three major themes are emerging that show promise of an increased resolve to fight back and find solutions.
First, as mentioned above, the world transportation infrastructure and in particularly the auto industry are finally accepting the challenge of a total transition to sustainable methods of propulsion.
In a second thread – and this has only very recently become a trend – powerful financial industry leaders, often referred to collectively as “Wall Street”, are stating unequivocally that they see fossil fuel investments as unsustainable (no double entendres intended) and “Green” investments as absolutely fundamental to the future of the world economy.
An example is the CEO of BlackRock, an asset management firm with $7 trillion in assets, is pushing his firm toward sustainable investment options and at the same time demanding that all companies disclose potential risks posed by the reality of a world with a rapidly changing climate.
Jeremy Grantham, co-founder of successful asset management firm GMO, who is known for having predicted both the 2000 and 2008 bear markets, has been speaking out about the dangers of climate change for more than a decade. He says that the tide has now turned, and people in his industry are starting to pay attention. Quotes below are from a recent interview in Barrons.
The last two years have been very encouraging. The previous eight were a nightmare. I used to talk about climate change, and my clients would roll their eyes and ask why I was wasting their time. But now everyone is at least talking about it.
– Jeremy Grantham, Grantham, Mayo, & van Otterloo (GMO), in barrons interview
While he is optimistic about the potential to solve the problems using advanced technology, it is essential that the transitions start immediately.
The problem is, it’s all talk. Last year more carbon-dioxide molecules went into the air than any single year in history. We must try harder.
– JEREMY GRANTHAM
And, ultimately, the outlook for asset managers and others such as venture capitalists is shifting quickly:
Obviously, chemicals, oils, fossil fuels in general are looking pointless on a long horizon. Decarbonizing the system is a massive move that permeates every industry in the end.
– JEREMY GRANTHAM
Above: Photo / Adobe Stock
”Too Little Too Late” would not be a great Phrase for the Tombstone of the Earth
And this leads to the third thread – the eventual exposure of the fossil fuel industrial complex as a destructive, greed based system that must be forced into “retirement” since it will not quit or change fast enough voluntarily. On this topic Grantham does not mince words:
Capitalism has a way of taking perfectly reasonable human beings who play at the weekend with their grandchildren, who are occasionally altruistic, and turning them during the workweek into Milton Friedman zombies working to maximize short-term profit.
If you said, “My only objective as a human being is to maximize my own advantages,” that’s a workable definition of a sociopath.
– JEREMY GRANTHAM
For a deeper look into this rampant ethos, one that permeates the world’s most powerful industry, read “Blowout” by Rachel Maddow (yes, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow). A mind blowing exposé of the inner workings of fossil fuel oligarchs and Oklahoma Wildcatters, it is a must read for anyone wanting to delve into the challenges we face as a species in adapting our own behavior (and particularly the behavior of the worst of us) in order to survive the climate crisis and all its evolving dangers.
Please click on photo to buy “Blowout” and at the same time you can help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also available on Amazon
In Spite of the Oscar Drought, 2019 was an Unmitigated Success
2019 was Disney’s year. Countless blockbuster releases including “Avengers: Endgame,” “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” “Captain Marvel,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” “Toy Story 4,” and more (not to mention the launch of Disney+ and the opening of “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” at Disney World) made 2019 the Walt Disney Company’s most lucrative year by a landslide.
As Disney enters 2020, however, the entertainment conglomerate seems to be pumping the breaks, or at least shifting gears. So far this year, there is yet to be a major theatrical release from Disney, and its highly anticipated films such as Pixar’s “Onward,” the live action “Mulan” or Marvel’s “Black Widow” will not come out until March 6th, March 27th, and May 1st respectively.
So what is Disney doing in the meantime? Is CEO Bob Iger just counting his paychecks from last year, or is the company plotting something new? Or are they scrambling for new ideas now that Marvel has concluded its eleven year Infinity Saga and Star Wars is on a filmic hiatus according to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy?
The answer lies somewhere in the margins between everything above. It is unlikely that the company will top its 2019 earnings in 2020 and it is also unlikely that they will have the same dominance over the box office.
However, it seems as if Disney is turning its attention away from the big screen this year and onto its other entertainment mediums. For example, even though the company has not yet released a major movie for 2020, it has been doing immense marketing for the new “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” ride at Disney World and Disneyland theme parks.
“Rise of the Resistance” is a narrative, interactive attraction at the parks’ Star Wars themed Galaxy’s Edge. The attraction opened at Orlando’s Disney World in December and has since been expanding to the company’s other parks around the globe. Attendance and spending at the parks has gone up since the ride debuted, likely making it Disney’s most profitable draw of 2020 thus far.
“The Child” a.k.a. Baby Yoda
Full-on Entry into Streaming Wars and an Impressive Initial Push
Likewise, with Disney+ coming out in late 2019 and receiving an immense number of subscribers in just its few months of existence, the novel online streaming site will certainly be one of Disney’s biggest priorities for 2020. Production has already begun for Season 2 of “The Mandalorian”—the service’s most popular original show, set in the Star Wars universe—and a number of additional original programs are set to come out this year including Marvel’s “WandaVision” series and a late final season of Disney Channel/Cartoon Network’s “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Given the copious number of streaming services set to come out in 2020, Disney will have to put its best foot forward to keep Disney+ above the competition.
What consumers often forget about Disney, especially after a year like 2019, is that the company is far more than a just film production enterprise. The Walt Disney Company encompasses amusement parks, books, radio, music, television, comics, and much, much more. While Disney might seem like it is slowing down based on its movie catalogue for 2020, the business is still running strong thanks to its many other sectors.
Furthermore, Disney owns more than just Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. 20th Century Fox, ESPN, Blue Sky Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Hulu, National Geographic and over a dozen more labels also fall under its corporate umbrella. Therefore, the studio will presumably continue profiting from the box office in 2020, even if it’s signature logo is not always plastered on the content.
Nevertheless, Disney still does have a handful of movies in the works for 2020. In addition to the aforementioned “Onward,” “Mulan,” and “Black Widow,” Disney will come out with “Call of the Wild” on February 21st, a Harrison Ford starring retelling of Jack London’s classic canine-centered novel. It will then team up with Pixar again to release “Soul” on June 19th, the animated comedy from the director of “Inside Out” and “Up.” We can also look forward to the releases of “Artemis Fowl” on May 29th, “Jungle Cruise” on July 24th, and “The One and Only Ivan” on August 14th before Disney comes out with more highly anticipated titles towards the end of the year such as Marvel’s “The Eternals” in November and Stephen Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake in December.
Once again, 2019 was Disney’s year, but that does not mean that its momentum will stop in 2020. The 2010s marked the company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and Fox as well as its game-changing capitalization on Marvel. What Disney has in store for the next decade is unknown, but it is likely to be just as magical—and highly profitable—as always.
The 2020 Oscars are a wrap. Big news is “Parasite” with four awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Bong Joon-Ho and Best International Film. Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix gave an emotional heart felt speech, quoting his brother River, Best Actress Renée Zellweger also waxed emotional, although the two veered off in similar yet opposite directions. Overall, other than the groundbreaking win for the South Korean wonder \”Parasite\” and the welcome diversity that it represents, these Oscars were, oddly, short on drama. Below you can see all the winners in each category:
Oscars winners (Refresh for updates)
Category winners are in bold with check-mark.
Best picture
1917 The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women Marriage Story Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Parasite Ford v Ferrari
“Parasite”
Best director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite√ Sam Mendes, 1917 Todd Phillips, Joker Martin Scorsese, The Irishman Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
“Joker”
Best actor
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker√ Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory Adam Driver, Marriage Story Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
“Judy”
Best actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet Renée Zellweger, Judy√ Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story Charlize Theron, Bombshell Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
“Ford vs. Ferrari”
Best film editing
The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Ford v Ferrari√ Parasite
Best supporting actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story√ Florence Pugh, Little Women Margot Robbie, Bombshell Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Best cinematography
Roger Deakins, 1917√ Rodrigo Prieto, The Irishman Lawrence Sher, Joker Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best sound mixing
Ad Astra Joker 1917√ Ford v Ferrari Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best sound editing
1917 Ford v Ferrari√ Joker Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Documentary short feature
In the Absence Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)√ Life Overtakes Me St. Louis Superman Walk Run Cha-Cha
Documentary feature
American Factory√ The Cave The Edge of Democracy For Sama Honeyland
Best costume design
Sandy Powell & Christopher Peterson, The Irishman Mark Bridges, Joker Arianne Phillips, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Jacqueline Durran, Little Women√ Mayes C. Rubeo, Jojo Rabbit
Best production design
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood√ The Irishman 1917 Jojo Rabbit Parasite
Live-action short film
Brotherhood Nefta Football Club The Neighbors’ Window√ Saria A Sister
ScarJo in JoJo Rabbit
Best adapted screenplay
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman Greta Gerwig, Little Women Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit√ Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes Todd Phillips & Scott Silver, Joker
Best original screenplay
Rian Johnson, Knives Out Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns, 1917 Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Bong Joon-ho, Parasite√
Animated short film
Dcera (Daughter) Hair Love√ Kitbull Memorable Sister
Animated feature film
“Toy Story 4”
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World I Lost My Body Klaus Missing Link Toy Story 4√
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Best supporting actor
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood√ Al Pacino, The Irishman Joe Pesci, The Irishman Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Makeup and hairstyling
Bombshell√ Joker Judy Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 1917
Visual effects
Avengers: Endgame The Irishman The Lion King 1917√ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Music (original score)
Joker√ Little Women Marriage Story 1917 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Music (original song)
“I’m Standing With You” from Breakthrough “Into The Unknown” from Frozen II “Stand Up” from Harriet “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman√ “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4 “Glasgow” from Wild Rose
“Parasite”
International feature film
France, Les Misérables North Macedonia, Honeyland Poland, Corpus Christi South Korea, Parasite √ Spain, Pain and Glory
1917 The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women Marriage Story Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Parasite√ Ford v Ferrari
“Parasite”
Best director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite√ Sam Mendes, 1917 Todd Phillips, Joker Martin Scorsese, The Irishman Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
“Joker”
Best actor
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker√ Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory Adam Driver, Marriage Story Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
“Judy”
Best actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet Renée Zellweger, Judy√ Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story Charlize Theron, Bombshell Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
“Ford vs. Ferrari”
Best film editing
The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Ford v Ferrari√ Parasite
Best supporting actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story√ Florence Pugh, Little Women Margot Robbie, Bombshell Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Best cinematography
Roger Deakins, 1917√ Rodrigo Prieto, The Irishman Lawrence Sher, Joker Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best sound mixing
Ad Astra Joker 1917√ Ford v Ferrari Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best sound editing
1917 Ford v Ferrari√ Joker Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Documentary short feature
In the Absence Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)√ Life Overtakes Me St. Louis Superman Walk Run Cha-Cha
Documentary feature
American Factory√ The Cave The Edge of Democracy For Sama Honeyland
Best costume design
Sandy Powell & Christopher Peterson, The Irishman Mark Bridges, Joker Arianne Phillips, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Jacqueline Durran, Little Women√ Mayes C. Rubeo, Jojo Rabbit
Best production design
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood√ The Irishman 1917 Jojo Rabbit Parasite
Live-action short film
Brotherhood Nefta Football Club The Neighbors’ Window√ Saria A Sister
ScarJo in JoJo Rabbit
Best adapted screenplay
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman Greta Gerwig, Little Women Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit√ Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes Todd Phillips & Scott Silver, Joker
Best original screenplay
Rian Johnson, Knives Out Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns, 1917 Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Bong Joon-ho, Parasite√
Animated short film
Dcera (Daughter) Hair Love√ Kitbull Memorable Sister
Animated feature film
“Toy Story 4”
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World I Lost My Body Klaus Missing Link Toy Story 4√
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Best supporting actor
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood√ Al Pacino, The Irishman Joe Pesci, The Irishman Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Makeup and hairstyling
Bombshell√ Joker Judy Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 1917
Visual effects
Avengers: Endgame The Irishman The Lion King 1917√ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Music (original score)
Joker√ Little Women Marriage Story 1917 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Music (original song)
“I’m Standing With You” from Breakthrough “Into The Unknown” from Frozen II “Stand Up” from Harriet “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman√ “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4 “Glasgow” from Wild Rose
“Parasite”
International feature film
France, Les Misérables North Macedonia, Honeyland Poland, Corpus Christi South Korea, Parasite √ Spain, Pain and Glory
Incredibly Effective Teen has been Raising Issues and Confronting Power across the Globe
Jens Holm and Hankins Svenneling, two Swedish lawmakers, have nominated Greta Thunberg for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. The two nominators chose Thunberg because of the international awareness she has raised about the climate crisis and the peace she has created by pressuring countries to lower emissions and stand by the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.
The Nobel Peace Prize is a Scandinavian-based award that annually recognizes a single individual for his or her accomplishments or commitments towards bringing nations together and nullifying global violence. Started in 1901, the tradition has lasted nearly 120 years. Any international lawmaker can nominate someone for the Peace Prize and the five-person Norwegian Nobel Committee decides the winner. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes alongside the Literature, Physics, Physiology/Medicine and Chemistry Prizes.
At just seventeen years old, Greta Thunberg is one of the youngest people to ever get nominated for the prestigious award. Three Norwegian lawmakers also nominated her for the last year’s Prize, but she did not end up winning. Usually the award is given to a politician or a member of an international organization (or the organization itself). Thunberg, however, is far from a politician and acts more-or-less independently in her mission.
Thunberg dropped out of school at age fifteen to protest climate inaction outside of the Swedish parliament building. She has since inspired many other young people to follow in her footsteps and produce additional school strikes in the name of environmental activism.
No Nonsense or Self-Aggrandizement Needed
Over the span of just a couple years, Greta’s message has spread around the planet, and she herself has also traveled far and wide, meeting with world leaders and influencing them to prioritize fighting the climate crisis with progressive policy. She spoke at the 2019 U.N. Climate Summit in Madrid and has the endorsement of many international figures.
Collaterally, Greta has garnered a quasi-celebrity reputation. However, she is far from hedonistically seeking attention or hollow gratification for her movement. Focused on tangible results, Thunberg renounces symbolic gestures and has even turned down several awards. Her bitingly direct rhetoric used at public events is a testament to this.
Get Greta’s book and help us publish more stories like this one
All the same, though, a Nobel Peace Prize is the prime filet of social justice recognitions. The title has gone to the likes of Barak Obama, Martin Luther King Jr, and esteemed institutions such as the EU and the Red Cross. By acknowledging the nomination alone, Thunberg could greatly benefit her cause, raising greater awareness political momentum than before. At the same time, the concept of receiving any award runs contrary to Greta’s “less-talk-and-more-action” agenda.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee choses the annual winner in November, and he or she receives the Prize at a ceremony in December. Nominations were due on the first of February, but not all submissions become public knowledge. Thus, there could be more than just two votes for Thunberg.
As of this writing, Thunberg herself has not commented on her nomination.
Get “Blowout” by Rachel Maddow and learn more on the Climate Crisis (and help Lynxotic and Indie Bookstores)
A Preview of Coming Conflicts that will Determine if Our Planet will Survive
Blowout is Rachel Maddow’s 3rd book and features a journey of intertwined stories that shine a light on the rise of Oil, Power and Corruption. Only after absorbing these fascinating fragments comes the realization that this history is either moving inexorably toward the brink of extinction, or, if somehow other forces intervene, an almost utopian potential.
A New York Times Bestseller upon release, its true weight and import is likely only to be recognized over the decades to come.
The narrative is built as a series of naturally staged and clearly factual anecdotes tracing the genesis and roots of the fossil fuel industry, followed up through the past two decades. Ultimately the story takes us to the moment (now) that represents a final crossroads leading to total world destruction, carbon burning suicide, or to a chance at redemption by replacing the corrupt empire of prettified organic matter with clean, renewable alternatives.
Maddow chooses to omit, for the most part, any discussion of climate change or the crisis that it is already unleashing on the planet, and focuses instead on the corrupt power, money and environmentally destructive nature of all the forces that led to is. As a result, the impact of the book is made all the more potent.
Please click on photo to buy “Blowout” and at the same time you can help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also available on Amazon
Perhaps a Film or Docudrama could be in the Works?
Cinematically told from various POVs, almost sympathetic to even the least admirable characters, and by featuring the minutiae of the lives of individual actors in the drama, there’s a great feeling, as if the reader is privy to the inner workings of this almost infinitely powerful yet secretive society. It’s a wild ride and dramatic twists abound, but in the end the facts and seriousness of the subject matter inspires deeper reflection… and thoughts toward action.
As the narrator bounces from Oklahoma City to New York to Alaska to Moscow, there is a sense that these wildly disparate fates will eventually intertwine into the story’s climax. Meanwhile, the detail and texture of the players and locales is engrossing and even entertaining, like a sometimes shocking virtual tour in the shoes of her heroes and villains.
It’s a wild ride, dramatic twists abound, but in the end the facts and seriousness of the subject matter inspires deeper reflection…
D.L.
Putin’s rise to power and his decision to use oil and natural gas spoils as a way to rebuild Russia into a personal empire of crime is one fascinating thread deftly woven into the narrative. The enormous impact and bizarre facts of the fracking industry is another. And where this all comes together is in twisted links between US industry and politics, International corruption and, yes, the current administration in Washington.
Ultimately, without so much as hinting at this idea, at least until the final chapters, the underlying message is that the events, actions and characters portrayed in this tale are what stands between the survival of all the humans on this planet (not to mention life itself) and extinction. And, that these are the last people on earth that should ever be allowed to have innocent lives in their hands (although, in essence, they already do).
While the timing might be coincidental, the fact is that the book has appeared on the scene at precisely the moment when a showdown is emerging between those that are working to undo the damage of the past 100 years, and those that are hell-bent on continuing down a suicidal path of greed and destruction. A turning point in sustainable transportation, solar and other renewable sources and even computer assisted breakthroughs from mass-transit to agriculture are threatening to leave carbon burning technology in the dust. But, as the book so skillfully points out, the carbon Barrons will not relinquish power without a fight.
As the book comes to a close, the reader is left with a stark realization that the current occupant of the White House is little more than a tiny, powerless pawn when compared with the virtually infinite resources and greed of this cabal consisting of history’s most destructive beings.
Further, that the awesome power and hidden conspiracies are fighting, not just for a continuation of their own reign, but for an increase in all the destructive and dangerous plundering and daemonic infrastructure that they have been building and exploiting for the past century.
The hope, and there is hope, is only in the entire corrupt, dying system somehow being replaced with not only a sustainable clean energy infrastructure, but also a system of cooperating democratic organizations free of the rapacious greed and murderous evil that continue to push the failed agenda of the past. That only the complete eradication of the soon to be redundant fossil fuel industrial complex can lead to a world without the dangers and crimes as detailed so meticulously in “Blowout”.
Politics is a Shady Business filled with DoubleSpeak, even more so if you are a Reality TV Star, it seems
Reams of digital paper and endless words have been expended in efforts to document the attempt to “ask”, coerce, bribe, blackmail or otherwise instigate a quid pro quo with president Zelensky of Ukraine: The release of promised military aid, already approved by congress but blocked by the White House, in exchange for the announcement, by Zelensky, that there was an investigation (real or imagined) by Ukraine into Joe Biden.
Other than the typically bogus claim by Trump, that Ukraine did not feel pressured, and the carefully worded quote from Zelensky, below, There has been little to no comment or investigative reporting on the bigger question beyond the question:
Why didn’t Ukraine and Zelensky simply comply with the “do us a favor, though” request and just announce the imaginary investigation?
Anonymous
As mentioned above much digital ink has been spilled speculating on possible reasons why this might be, but very little follow up or digging has been initiated or reported. This seems unusual with motives to resist this “non-pressure”, if you take Trump’s version, or outright blackmail which the facts imply, being potentially important in proving or at least shedding light on Trump’s motives (which are obvious unless you listen to Republican explanations).
Little is reported of any direct comment from Ukraine or Zelenskyy as to the real reason the “ask” was never considered or acted on. The paragraphs below from the Time.com interview are a carefully worded evasion of an answer, highlighting the difficulty for Ukraine in dealing with this issue without even more problems potentially to follow.
The War that Russia Denies ever Existed is at the Heart of the Matter
One obvious thought, also seldom mentioned, regarding reasons not to do this favor for Trump would be the understanding that, as Putin and Russia’s top preference for US President, Trump would be the last person Ukraine should want to see re-elected! And, talking about sanctions against Russia, as Zelensky mentioned often in the transcript of the call with Trump, below, these are the same sanctions that Trump tried to cancel immediately after his inauguration, before he was blocked from doing so by Congress.
The excerpt from the call that pertains to the “ask” is shown below, but the vague and submissive tone is only understood in context when compared with the more candid, yet still veiled, response to questions in a later interview:
We are great friends and you Mr. President have friends in our country so we can continue our strategic partnership. I also plan to surround myself with great people and in addition to that investigation, I guarantee as the President of Ukraine that all the investigations will be done openly and candidly.. That I can assure you.
– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Excerpt from the Time.com interview with President Zelenskyy:
Interviewer: When did you first sense that there was a connection between Trump’s decision to block military aid to Ukraine this summer and the two investigations that Trump and his allies were asking for? Can you clarify this issue of the quid pro quo?
”Look, I never talked to the President from the position of a quid pro quo. That’s not my thing. … I don’t want us to look like beggars. But you have to understand. We’re at war. If you’re our strategic partner, then you can’t go blocking anything for us. I think that’s just about fairness. It’s not about a quid pro quo. It just goes without saying.”
– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Interviewer: : Do you have any trust in Putin going into these talks?
”I don’t trust anyone at all. I’ll tell you honestly. Politics is not an exact science. That’s why in school I loved mathematics. Everything in mathematics was clear to me. You can solve an equation with a variable, with one variable. But here it’s only variables, including the politicians in our country. I don’t know these people. I can’t understand what dough they’re made of. That’s why I think nobody can have any trust. Everybody just has their interests.”
– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Clearly, there is a visible difference between what is said on the official phone call and in the interview with Time.com. Clearer still would be the real truth on the “Ukrainian perspective” which will likely only be available once Trump is no longer president. Any more candid response from Zelenskyy would endanger him and his country and make them vulnerable to retaliation for telling the truth.
Full Transcript and Relevant Excerpt from July Call
As follows the full excerpt pertaining to the “favor” from the unclassified transcripts released in September (full transcript follows):
The President: I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say Crowdstrike… I guess you have one of your wealthy people… The server, they say Ukraine has it. There are a lot of things that went on, the whole situation. I think you’re surrounding yourself with some of the same people. I would like to have the Attorney General call you or your people and I would like you to get to the bottom of it. As you saw yesterday, that whole nonsense ended with a very poor performance by a man named Robert Mueller, an incompetent performance, but they say a lot of it started with Ukraine. Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it if that’s possible.
President Zelenskyy: Yes it is very important for me and everything that you just mentioned earlier. For me as a President, it is very important and we are open for any future cooperation. We are ready to open a new page on cooperation in relations between the United States and Ukraine. For that purpose, I just recalled our ambassador from United States and he will be replaced by a very competent and very experienced ambassador who will work hard on making sure that our two nations are getting closer. I would also like and hope to see him having your trust and your confidence and have personal relations with you so we can cooperate even more so. I will personally tell you that one of my assistants spoke with Mr. Giuliani just recently and we are hoping very much that Mr. Giuliani will be able to travel to Ukraine and we will meet once he comes to Ukraine. I just wanted to assure you once again that you have nobody but friends around us. I will make sure that I surround myself with the best and most experienced people. I also wanted to tell you that we are friends. We are great friends and you Mr. President have friends in our country so we can continue our strategic partnership. I also plan to surround myself with great people and in addition to that investigation, I guarantee as the President of Ukraine that all the investigations will be done openly and candidly.. That I can assure you.
UNCLASSIFIED
Declassified by order of the President
September 24, 2019
MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
SUBJECT: Telephone Conversation with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine
Participants: President Zelenskyy of Ukraine Notetakers: The White House Situation Room
Date, Time July 25, 2019, 9:03-9:33 am EDT and Place: Residence
The President: Congratulations on a great victory. We all watched from the United States and you did a terrific job. The way you came from behind, somebody who wasn’t given much of a chance, and you ended up winning easily. It’s a fantastic achievement. Congratulations.
President Zelenskyy: You are absolutely right Mr. President. We did win big and we worked hard for this. We worked a lot but I would like to confess to you that I had an opportunity to learn from you. We used quite a few of your skills and knowledge and were able to use it as an example for our elections and yes it is true that these were unique elections. We were in a unique situation that we were able to achieve a unique success. I’m able to tell you the following; the first time you called me to congratulate me when I won my presidential election, and the second time you are now calling me when my party won the parliamentary election. I think I should run more often so you can call me more often and we can talk over the phone more often.
The President: (laughter) That’s a very good idea. I think your country is very happy about that.
President Zelenskyy: Well yes, to tell you the truth, we are trying to work hard because we wanted to drain the swamp here in our country. We brought in many many new people. Not the old politicians, not the typical politicians, because we want to have a new format and a new type of government. You are a great teacher for us and in that.
The President: Well it is very nice of you to say that. I will say that we do a lot for Ukraine. We spend a lot of effort and a lot of time. Much more than the European countries are doing and they should be helping you more than they are. Germany does almost nothing for you. All they do is talk and I think it’s something that you should really ask them about. When I was speaking to Angela Merkel she talks Ukraine, but she ·doesn’t do anything. A lot of the European countries are the same way so I think it’s something you want to look at but the United States has been very very good to Ukraine. I wouldn’t say that it’s reciprocal necessarily because things are happening that are not good but the United States has been very very good to Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy: Yes you are absolutely right. Not only 100%, but actually 1000% and I can tell you the following; I did talk to Angela Merkel and I did meet with her I also met and talked with Macron and I told them that they are not doing quite as much as they need to be doing on the issues with the sanctions. They are not enforcing the sanctions. They are not working as much as they should work for Ukraine. It turns out that even though logically, the European Union should be our biggest partner but technically the United States is a much bigger partner than the European Union and I’m very grateful to you for that because the United States is doing quite a lot for Ukraine. Much more than the European Union especially when we are talking about sanctions against the Russian Federation. I would also like to thank you for your great support in the area of defense. We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps specifically we are almost. ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes.
The President: I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say Crowdstrike… I guess you have one of your wealthy people… The server, they say Ukraine has it. There are a lot of things that went on, the whole situation. I think you’re surrounding yourself with some of the same people. I would like to have the Attorney General call you or your people and I would like you to get to the bottom of it. As you saw yesterday, that whole nonsense ended with a very poor performance by a man named Robert Mueller, an incompetent performance, but they say a lot of it started with Ukraine. Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it if that’s possible.
President Zelenskyy: Yes it is very important for me and everything that you just mentioned earlier. For me as a President, it is very important and we are open for any future cooperation. We are ready to open a new page on cooperation in relations between the United States and Ukraine. For that purpose, I just recalled our ambassador from United States and he will be replaced by a very competent and very experienced ambassador who will work hard on making sure that our two nations are getting closer. I would also like and hope to see him having your trust and your confidence and have personal relations with you so we can cooperate even more so. I will personally tell you that one of my assistants spoke with Mr. Giuliani just recently and we are hoping very much that Mr. Giuliani will be able to travel to Ukraine and we will meet once he comes to Ukraine. I just wanted to assure you once again that you have nobody but friends around us. I will make sure that I surround myself with the best and most experienced people. I also wanted to tell you that we are friends. We are great friends and you Mr. President have friends in our country so we can continue our strategic partnership. I also plan to surround myself with great people and in addition to that investigation, I guarantee as the President of Ukraine that all the investigations will be done openly and candidly.. That I can assure you.
The President: Good because I heard you had a prosecutor who was very good and he was shut down and that’s really unfair. A lot of people are talking about that, the way they shut your very good prosecutor down and you had some very bad people involved. Mr. Giuliani is a highly respected man. He was the mayor of New York City, a great mayor, and I would like him to call you. I will ask him to call you along with the Attorney General. Rudy very much knows what’s happening and he is a very capable guy. If you could speak to him that would be great.
The former ambassador from the United States, the woman, was bad news and the people she was dealing with in the Ukraine were bad news so I just want to let you know that. The other thing, There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it… It sounds horrible to me.
President Zelenskyy: I wanted to tell you about the prosecutor. First of all, I understand and I’m knowledgeable about the situation. Since we have won the absolute majority in our Parliament, the next prosecutor general will be 100% my person, my candidate, who will be approved, by the parliament and will start as a new prosecutor in September. He or she will look into the situation, specifically to the company that you mentioned in this issue. The issue of the investigation of the case is actually the issue of making sure to restore the honesty so we will take care of that and will work on the investigation of the case. On top of that, I would kindly ask you if you have any additional information that you can provide to us, it would be very helpful for the investigation to make sure that we administer justice in our country with regard to the Ambassador to the United States from Ukraine as far as I recall her name was Ivanovich. It was great that you were the first one who told me that she was a bad ambassador because I agree with you 100%. Her attitude towards me was far from the best as she admired the previous President and she was on his side. She would not accept me as a new President well enough.
The President: Well, she’s going to go through some things. I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call and I am also going to have Attorney General Barr call and we will get to the bottom of it. I’m sure you will figure it out. I heard the prosecutor was treated very badly and he was a very fair prosecutor so good luck with everything. Your economy is going to get better and better I predict. You have a lot of assets. It’s a great country. I have many Ukrainian friends, their incredible people.
President Zelenskyy: I would like to tell you that I also have quite a few Ukrainian friends that live in the United States. Actually last time I traveled to the United States, I stayed in New York near Central Park and I stayed at the Trump Tower. I will talk to them and I hope to see them again in the future. I also wanted to thank you for your invitation to visit the United States, specifically Washington DC. On the other hand, I also want to ensure you that we will be very serious about the case and will work on the investigation. As to the economy, there is much potential for our two countries and one of the issues that is very important for Ukraine is energy independence. I believe we can be very successful and cooperating on energy independence with United States. We are already working on cooperation. We are buying American oil but I am very hopeful for a future meeting. We will have more time and more opportunities to discuss these opportunities and get to know each other better. I would like to thank you very much for your support.
The President: Good. Well, thank you very much and I appreciate that. I will tell Rudy and Attorney General Barr to call. Thank you. Whenever you would like to come to the White House, feel free to call. Give us a date and we’ll work that out. I look forward to seeing you.
President Zelenskyy: Thank you very much. I would be very happy to come and would be happy to meet with you personally and get to know you better. I am looking forward to our meeting and I also would like to invite you to visit Ukraine and come to the city of Kyiv which is a beautiful city. We have a beautiful country which would welcome you. On the other hand, I believe that on September 1 we will be in Poland and we can meet in Poland hopefully. After that, it might be a very good idea for you to travel to Ukraine. We can either take my plane and go to Ukraine or we can take your plane, which is probably much better than mine.
The President: Okay, we can work that out. I look forward to seeing you in Washington and maybe in Poland because I think we are going to be there at that time.
President Zelenskyy: Thank you very much Mr. President.
The President: Congratulations on a fantastic job you’ve done. The whole world was watching. I’m not sure it was so much of an upset but congratulations.
President Zelenskyy: Thank you Mr. President bye-bye.
