# 2026-08-14 (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 1 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover 2026-08-14. Page: Feed: --- ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-27](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260827) _2026-08-27 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-27 Topic(s) Words of the Day Lambert Streth… Thu, 27 Aug 2026 - 10:00 Dad Joke of the Day: What did the police officer say to his belly button? --\> On this day (1789): French National Assembly issues the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” ( here ). \* \* \* Agent . From my OED app: “/ˈeɪdʒ(ə)nt / ▸ noun 1 a person who acts on behalf of another person or… ## [Election officials wrestle with uncertainty amid legal battles over Trump mail ballot restrictions](https://thejackpot.blog/node/ElectionofficialswrestlewithuncertaintyamidlegalbattlesoverTrumpmailballotrestrictions) _2026-08-27 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Election officials wrestle with uncertainty amid legal battles over Trump mail ballot restrictions Topic(s) Politics Lambert Streth… Thu, 27 Aug 2026 - 06:45 Lambert here: Real life still has me under the cannon, otherwise I would post on this. But fortunately, we have VoteBeat. I am not an expert on these cases at all, but to me this all looks like just another Republican attempt to shape the… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-27](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260827) _2026-08-27 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-27 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon Lambert Streth… Thu, 27 Aug 2026 - 05:11 (The giant Saturn V rocket for the Apollo 4 mission at the Kennedy Space Center’s launch complex 39A stands at the dawn of November 8, 1967, during the pre-launch alert. (Image credit: NASA.) Big gummint. Add new comment ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-26](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260826) _2026-08-26 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-26 Topic(s) Water Cooler Lambert Streth… Wed, 26 Aug 2026 - 14:15 Don’t Miss These (1) “Centrists Despise Hasan Piker More Than They Want to Win”. • Film at 11! (2) “Inside the Warehouse Where Amazon Scans and Destroys Books for AI Training”. • Just disgusting. (3) Can AI ever be conscious? The question stems from a misconception”. • No. (4) “How Our Leisure Time Got… ## [Silicon Valley’s Most Dangerous Innovation](https://thejackpot.blog/node/SiliconValley%E2%80%99sMostDangerousInnovation) _2026-08-26 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Silicon Valley’s Most Dangerous Innovation Topic(s) Politics Tech Cross-Post Lambert Streth… Wed, 26 Aug 2026 - 11:45 Lambert here: One missing piece of the puzzle is that the Silicon Valley squillionaires are loonies. Not just Musk. Of course, fascists, “tech” or not, do tend that way. I should really write a post that’s just a compilation of their crazypants views. It would be a lazy post, easy… ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-26](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260826) _2026-08-26 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-26 Topic(s) Words of the Day Lambert Streth… Wed, 26 Aug 2026 - 09:45 Dad Joke of the Day: Dad Joke of the Day: Yesterday I had a date. It was perfect --\> On this day (1682): English astronomer Edmond Halley first observes the comet named after him: (Earthlings flee to the moon before the arrival of Halley’s Comet, ca. 1910. Musée Carnavalet.) \* \* \* Robust . From my OED… ## [How the ‘backwoods Barbie’ Dolly Parton turned self‑aware artifice into authentic artistry](https://thejackpot.blog/node/Howthe%E2%80%98backwoodsBarbie%E2%80%99DollyPartonturnedself%E2%80%91awareartificeintoauthenticartistry) _2026-08-26 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ How the ‘backwoods Barbie’ Dolly Parton turned self‑aware artifice into authentic artistry Topic(s) Serendipity Cross-Post Lambert Streth… Wed, 26 Aug 2026 - 06:45 Lambert here: “backwoods Barbie” is, fortunately, a quote from Parton herself. I know very little about country music, and I’ll wait for the hagiography to die down before taking a view. That said, Parton was certainly a major figure,… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-26](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260826) _2026-08-26 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-26 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon Lambert Streth… Wed, 26 Aug 2026 - 02:26 Lambert here: Dubious material, given that it’s part of a “Longevity Leaders” feature by Time. “Leaders” is always dubious, since it dissolves all the cultural and social signals that indicate a person’s position; medical doctors, genuine scientists, influencers, and for all I know celebrities can all be… ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-25](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260825) _2026-08-25 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-25 Topic(s) Water Cooler Lambert Streth… Tue, 25 Aug 2026 - 14:15 Don’t Miss These (1) MI: “Abdul El-Sayed distances himself from Hasan Piker’s comments on American Jews”. • Don’t. (2) “Why wild code is an IT crisis hiding in plain sight”. • Vibe coding today = technical debt tomorrow. (3) ‘San Perlita ISD closes all school operations over ‘rapid spread of COVID-19’”.… ## [In a warming world, wildflowers offer a warning](https://thejackpot.blog/node/Inawarmingworldwildflowersofferawarning) _2026-08-25 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ In a warming world, wildflowers offer a warning Topic(s) Climate Cross-Post Lambert Streth… Tue, 25 Aug 2026 - 12:30 Lambert here: Well, at least they stopped flying into my windshield. \* \* \* “In a warming world, wildflowers offer a warning” \[Kylie Mohr, High Country News (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)\]. The natural world is alive with dialogue. Plants participate in conversations both above- and belowground.… ## [8.1% APY Plus Free Stock (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/7ry0xKJcQbwP) _2026-08-25 · **Sponsored**_ Claim 8.1% APY and up to $1,030 in SK hynix and Nvidia stock. ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-25](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260825) _2026-08-25 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-25 Topic(s) Words of the Day Lambert Streth… Tue, 25 Aug 2026 - 09:45 On this day (325): First Council of Nicaea ends with adoption of the Nicene Creed establishing the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. \* \* \* Vacation . From my OED app: “/vəˈkeɪʃn , veɪˈkeɪʃn / ▸ noun 1 a fixed holiday period between terms in universities and law courts: the Easter vacation . ▪ North American… ## [The corporation from the Middle Ages to intellectual monopoly capitalism](https://thejackpot.blog/node/ThecorporationfromtheMiddleAgestointellectualmonopolycapitalism) _2026-08-25 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ The corporation from the Middle Ages to intellectual monopoly capitalism Topic(s) Politics Class Cross-Post Lambert Streth… Tue, 25 Aug 2026 - 07:00 Patient readers, this week I am not so much under the gun as under a cannon with what we cheerfully call “real life” demands; in addition I have travel. So in place of original posts, I will try to find cross-posts, like this one, of sufficient weight… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-25](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260825) _2026-08-25 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-25 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon Lambert Streth… Tue, 25 Aug 2026 - 01:56 “Scientists Finally Solved the Mystery of Why You Sound Like a Chainsaw in Your Sleep” \[Vice\]. Here’s the original (“this work advances our understanding of palatal non-apneic snoring acoustics by identifying the dipole-type source as the dominant contributor in this specific regime to sound generation and… ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-24](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260824) _2026-08-24 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-24 Topic(s) Water Cooler Lambert Streth… Mon, 24 Aug 2026 - 12:41 Don’t Miss These (1) “That’s a hell of an act. What do you call it? ” • “The Democrats!” (2) “The Origins of Police Power. ” • Labor aristocracy? (3) “Boeing workers reject contract offer at crucial moment for company. ” • Get this: They don’t trust management! (4) “Meat proxy.” • Cf. They’re Made Out… ## [Google "AI Overspew" Epic Fail: Confusing Jack Aubrey (Fictional Character) with Horatio Nelson (Historical Personage)](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoogleAIOverspewEpicFailConfusingJackAubreyFictionalCharacterwithHoratioNelsonHistoricalPersonage) _2026-08-24 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Google "AI Overspew" Epic Fail: Confusing Jack Aubrey (Fictional Character) with Horatio Nelson (Historical Personage) Topic(s) Tech Lambert Streth… Mon, 24 Aug 2026 - 06:20 I wish this had not happened. But it did happen. I had my usual use case, searching for the origin of a quotation; in my recollection, “There never was a ship that fought well, without she was a happy ship” ( used here ).… ## [Zuckerberg’s AI Manifesto Lost it at Compute](https://thejackpot.blog/node/Zuckerberg%E2%80%99sAIManifestoLostitatCompute) _2026-08-24 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Zuckerberg’s AI Manifesto Lost it at Compute Topic(s) Politics Tech Cross-Post Lambert Streth… Mon, 24 Aug 2026 - 01:03 Lambert here: “Trust us” is how Silicon Valley says “\[family blog\] you!” There’s a lot of “Isn’t it pretty to think so” in this piece, I think. The trouble with oligarchs is that they’re oligarchs . How I would love to be wrong! \* \* \* “Zuckerberg’s AI Manifesto Lost it at… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-24](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260824) _2026-08-24 · Lambert Strether7890123456789 · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-24 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon Lambert Streth… Mon, 24 Aug 2026 - 00:43 Patient readers: Sorry for the missing “Goodnight Moon” yesterday. I had a bit of a schedule collapse on my last day of travel. —lambert “The clock’s ticking for a ‘Greenwich Moon time’ as world powers eager to exploit lunar resources” \[ Daily Mail \]: World powers eager to exploit lunar resources are… ## [Sunday Supplement, 2026-08-23: Farmers Markets and Making America Healthy Again](https://thejackpot.blog/node/SundaySupplement20260823FarmersMarketsandMakingAmericaHealthyAgain) _2026-08-23 · J-LS · (untitled)_ Sunday Supplement, 2026-08-23: Farmers Markets and Making America Healthy Again Topic(s) Sunday Supplement J-LS Sun, 23 Aug 2026 - 16:18 Patient readers. This week’s Sunday Supplement will post a bit later than the scheduled 2 p.m. time, due to a technical issue two people with far more experience than I had difficulty solving, Next week, we’ll return to the 2 p.m. publication schedule. Thanks! \*… ## [Violence Against Healthcare Workers and Staffing Shortages Fuel Hospital Strikes](https://thejackpot.blog/node/ViolenceAgainstHealthcareWorkersandStaffingShortagesFuelHospitalStrikes) _2026-08-22 · lambert · (untitled)_ Violence Against Healthcare Workers and Staffing Shortages Fuel Hospital Strikes Topic(s) Cross-Post lambert Sat, 22 Aug 2026 - 13:00 Lambert here: A very cursory search doesn’t turn up a study showing that ER violence is connected to private equity. Too bad. “Violence Against Healthcare Workers and Staffing Shortages Fuel Hospital Strike” \[ Lynn Arditi, KFF Health News (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)\] Nurse… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-22](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260822) _2026-08-22 · lambert · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-22 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon lambert Sat, 22 Aug 2026 - 01:50 “Potential survivable niches for microbial life on the lunar south pole” \[ Science \]. Here, we show that recent microorganism survivability data and lunar surface remote sensing reveal likely survivable niches in lunar polar regions. Analysis of topography and latitude-driven surface conditions using remote sensing… ## [Ship software peacefully (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/W1Mr29WFw26S) _2026-08-22 · **Sponsored**_ Deploy apps from your repo with auto-config, instant previews, scaling, and monitoring. ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-21](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260821) _2026-08-21 · lambert · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-21 Topic(s) Water Cooler lambert Fri, 21 Aug 2026 - 12:12 Don’t Miss These (1) “How AI Destroys Institutions” • The expected ROI. (2) “Post-Primary Recap: The Fall of the Resistance and the Rise of the DSA” • Extraordinary. (3) “The Art of the Self-Deal” • When you’ve lost Nooners… (4) “The actual epistemic crisis” • When everything is slop… Birdsong of the Day Moar… ## [Why working‑class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world](https://thejackpot.blog/node/Whyworking%E2%80%91classpeopleaccountforaround1oflawmakersintheUS%E2%80%93andonly2intheaveragedemocracyaroundtheworld) _2026-08-21 · lambert · (untitled)_ Why working‑class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world Topic(s) Politics Class Cross-Post lambert Fri, 21 Aug 2026 - 12:00 “Why working‑class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world” \[Noam Lupu and Nicholas Carnes, The Conversation (CC BY-ND 4.0)\]. Both major… ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-21](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260821) _2026-08-21 · lambert · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-21 Topic(s) Words of the Day lambert Fri, 21 Aug 2026 - 10:00 On this day (1831): Former slave Nat Turner leads uprising against slavery. \* \* \* Secret . From my OED app: “/ˈsiːkrɪt / ▸ adjective not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others: how did you guess I’d got a secret plan? the relationship was kept secret from the world for five years . ▪… ## [Friday Cat Blogging, 2026-08-21](https://thejackpot.blog/node/FridayCatBlogging20260821) _2026-08-21 · lambert · (untitled)_ Friday Cat Blogging, 2026-08-21 Topic(s) Friday Cat Blogging lambert Fri, 21 Aug 2026 - 07:00 “DOGE’s Screwworm Legacy May Be Tons Of Euthanized Cats And Dogs” \[ TechDirt \]. If you somehow haven’t heard of this, screwworms are actually a fly that lays its eggs by burrowing into the flesh of other animals. Those animals are mostly cattle, sometimes household pets, and even occasionally humans. It’s… ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-20](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260820) _2026-08-20 · lambert · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-20 Topic(s) Water Cooler lambert Thu, 20 Aug 2026 - 14:00 Don’t Miss These (1) “What Are Bond Markets Telling Us? ” • Not to worry. (2) “The DSA sweet spot: highly educated, downwardly mobile. ” • Pre-1789? (3) “Sailor Charged With Murdering Shipmate Aboard Carrier USS John F. Kennedy. ” • High-T? (4) “Inside Big Tech’s Frantic Race to Quell the Growing Backlash to… ## [Q&A: Tech Billionaires’ AI Space Empire Fantasies Are ‘An Insidious Form of Climate Denial’](https://thejackpot.blog/node/QATechBillionaires%E2%80%99AISpaceEmpireFantasiesAre%E2%80%98AnInsidiousFormofClimateDenial%E2%80%99) _2026-08-20 · lambert · (untitled)_ Q&A: Tech Billionaires’ AI Space Empire Fantasies Are ‘An Insidious Form of Climate Denial’ Topic(s) Politics Tech Climate Cross-Post lambert Thu, 20 Aug 2026 - 12:00 “Crime makes you stupid.” —Detective Frank Pembleton, “Homicide: Life on the Street.” Lambert here: This article is from February 2026, but useful in showing how crazed and delusional our billions-addled tween-boy-fantastist Silicon… ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-20](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260820) _2026-08-20 · lambert · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-20 Topic(s) Words of the Day lambert Thu, 20 Aug 2026 - 10:00 On this day (1908): America’s Great White Fleet arrives in Sydney, Australia, greeted with a tremendous welcome; 221 American sailors desert to stay in Australia. \* \* \* Outage . From my OED app: “/ˈaʊtɪdʒ / ▸ noun a period when a power supply or other service is not available or when equipment is closed down:… ## [Why does singing feel so good? And is it good for your health?](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WhydoessingingfeelsogoodAndisitgoodforyourhealth) _2026-08-20 · lambert · (untitled)_ Why does singing feel so good? And is it good for your health? Topic(s) The Arts Serendipity Cross-Post lambert Thu, 20 Aug 2026 - 07:00 Lambert here: Maybe I should start singing in the morning, along with the birds. It seems almost embarassing, but why not? On another note, this is a travel day for me, so I may not be able to put up an original post, though I will try! \* \* \* “Why does singing… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-20](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260820) _2026-08-20 · lambert · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-20 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon lambert Thu, 20 Aug 2026 - 01:00 “NASA shares first images of SpaceX moon crash site” \[ Popular Science \]: The culprit was a wayward \[SpaceX\] Falcon 9 rocket upper stage, which typically disintegrates upon a guided atmospheric reentry. In January 2025, ferrying two lunar landers during the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission drained almost all of one… ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-19](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260819) _2026-08-19 · lambert · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-19 Topic(s) Water Cooler lambert Wed, 19 Aug 2026 - 14:00 Don’t Miss These (1) “THE BACKDOOR OPTION THAT COULD KEEP THE GOP IN CONTROL OF CONGRESS. ” • Yikes! (2) Democratic socialist notches surprise win in Florida Senate primary: 5 takeaways. ” • Nixon’s the one! (3) “The Trolley Trick: Marginalizing Morality in Elite Education. ” • Thanks, Harvard. (4) Reader… ## [Dissecting Series A Rounds (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/AndR45qm41fr) _2026-08-19 · **Sponsored**_ Two real Series A cases: timelines, investor sequencing, and common founder mistakes. ## [Big Tech and the rise of intellectual monopolies](https://thejackpot.blog/node/BigTechandtheriseofintellectualmonopolies) _2026-08-19 · lambert · (untitled)_ Big Tech and the rise of intellectual monopolies Topic(s) Politics Tech Class Cross-Post lambert Wed, 19 Aug 2026 - 12:00 “Big Tech and the rise of intellectual monopolies” \[Tim Christiaens , London School of Economics (CC BY 4.0\]. In The Rulers , Cecilia Rikap argues that Big Tech has moved beyond classic bureaucratic monopoly capitalism. Today’s tech giants rule through networked capitalism and… ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-19](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260819) _2026-08-19 · lambert · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-19 Topic(s) Words of the Day lambert Wed, 19 Aug 2026 - 10:00 Dad Joke of the Day: As I get older, I remember all the people I lost along the way --\> On this day (43 BC): Octavian, later known as Augustus, compels the Roman Senate to elect him consul. \* \* \* Journey . From my OED app: “/ˈdʒəːni / ▸ noun (plural journeys) an act of travelling from one place to another: an… ## [Frank Herbert's "Destination: Void" and Artificial General Intelligence](https://thejackpot.blog/node/FrankHerbertsDestinationVoidandArtificialGeneralIntelligence) _2026-08-19 · lambert · (untitled)_ Frank Herbert's "Destination: Void" and Artificial General Intelligence Topic(s) Tech lambert Wed, 19 Aug 2026 - 07:15 Frank Herbert’s little-known Destination: Void (1966) is not part of the Dune canon, but has perhaps even greater relevance to the predicaments of our time. I won’t summarize the plot ( Wikipedia is good ), but (simplifying) the premise is that four scientists have been sent out… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-19](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260819) _2026-08-19 · lambert · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-19 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon lambert Wed, 19 Aug 2026 - 04:01 René Magritte, Souvenir de voyage (c.1962-63). There seem to be several painting with this title (why), but this one has an image of the moon, so… \* \* \* Would it be churlish of me to hope that all the tween boy billionaires lusting to colonize space end up with forbidden fruit, but inedible and made of stone? Add… ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-18](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260818) _2026-08-18 · lambert · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-18 Topic(s) Water Cooler lambert Tue, 18 Aug 2026 - 14:00 Don’t Miss These (1) “Why does everyone hate data centers?. ” • Because they hate big corporations. Who knew? (2) “Robot book club. ” • Axios Editor hates actually reading books. (3) “We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility. ” • Of course Amazon destroyed the rare books.… ## [Who were the Luddites? Their legacy ripples through politics, cultural commentary and literature](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WhoweretheLudditesTheirlegacyripplesthroughpoliticsculturalcommentaryandliterature) _2026-08-18 · lambert · (untitled)_ Who were the Luddites? Their legacy ripples through politics, cultural commentary and literature Topic(s) Politics Class lambert Tue, 18 Aug 2026 - 12:00 Lambert here: Who were the Luddites? Not the ones who wrote the history. \* \* \* “Who were the Luddites? Their legacy ripples through politics, cultural commentary and literature” \[Brian Lewis, The Conversation (CC BY-ND 4.0)\]. American filmmaker… ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-18](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260818) _2026-08-18 · lambert · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-18 Topic(s) Words of the Day lambert Tue, 18 Aug 2026 - 10:00 On this day (293 BC): The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded, initiating the institution of Vinalia Rustica (grape harvest festival). \* \* \* Bank . From my OED app: “bank /baŋk / ▸ noun 1 a financial establishment that uses money deposited by customers for investment, pays it out when required, makes… ## [Four States Take Meta to Trial in California, the Latest Front in Sprawling Multidistrict Fight](https://thejackpot.blog/node/FourStatesTakeMetatoTrialinCaliforniatheLatestFrontinSprawlingMultidistrictFight) _2026-08-18 · lambert · (untitled)_ Four States Take Meta to Trial in California, the Latest Front in Sprawling Multidistrict Fight Topic(s) Tech Cross-Post lambert Tue, 18 Aug 2026 - 07:50 Lambert here: Good! Now do ChatGPT. \* \* \* “Four States Take Meta to Trial in California, the Latest Front in Sprawling Multidistrict Fight” \[Varsha Bansal, Tech Policy Press \]. Opening statements will be heard this week in a trial in Oakland,… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-18](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon2026-08-18.1) _2026-08-18 · lambert · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-18 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon lambert Tue, 18 Aug 2026 - 03:49 “Drawing a Line From the Gut Microbiome to Inflammation and Depression” \[ Harvard Medical School \[: It’s become increasingly clear that the gut microbiome can affect human health, including mental health. Which bacterial species influence the development of disease and how they do so, however, is only just starting… ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-17](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260817) _2026-08-17 · lambert · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-17 Topic(s) Water Cooler lambert Mon, 17 Aug 2026 - 14:00 Patient readers, this is a little bit late and a little bit short. Tomorrow is another day! —lambert Don’t Miss These (1) “Trump Is Starting to Look Precarious. ” • Nooners. (2) “The Trillion-Dollar Problem at the Heart of the AI Boom. ” • Figures don’t add up. (3) “Luigi Mangione reveals motive for CEO’s… ## [The Pyramid of the Capitalist System](https://thejackpot.blog/node/ThePyramidoftheCapitalistSystem) _2026-08-17 · lambert · (untitled)_ The Pyramid of the Capitalist System Topic(s) Politics Cross-Post lambert Mon, 17 Aug 2026 - 12:00 Lambert here: It’s good to have some provenance for this famous image (or perhaps fin de siècle meme). That said, although the image works well as polemic (“we work for all”/”we feed all’ vs. “we rule you”/”we fool you”/”we shoot at you”) I don’t think it’s an adequate or useful representation of… ## [DOGE Metastasizes at the National Design Studio, Codes a Parallel Federal Government](https://thejackpot.blog/node/DOGEMetastasizesNationalDesignStudioCodesParallelFederalGovernment) _2026-08-17 · lambert · (untitled)_ DOGE Metastasizes at the National Design Studio, Codes a Parallel Federal Government Topic(s) Politics Tech lambert Mon, 17 Aug 2026 - 08:00 The National Design Studio (NDS) was created by Executive Order 14338, “ IMPROVING OUR NATION THROUGH BETTER DESIGN ,” on August 21, 2025. Headed by superficially plausible former office furniture designer and AirBnB founder Joe Gebbia, NDS has become the… ## [Sunday Supplement, 2026-08-16: Roadfood](https://thejackpot.blog/node/SundaySupplement20260816Roadfood) _2026-08-16 · J-LS · (untitled)_ Sunday Supplement, 2026-08-16: Roadfood Topic(s) Sunday Supplement J-LS Sun, 16 Aug 2026 - 14:00 J-LS here. Shortly after posting last week, I was traveling, without stable internet access, and thus unable to respond to your warm welcome. Thanks! I learned so much from your perceptive comments, especially about Harry Bridges, the Seattle General Strike of 1919, and consequences of the formation of… ## [Michigan charges 5 noncitizens for allegedly voting in 2024 election](https://thejackpot.blog/node/Michigancharges5noncitizensforallegedlyvotingin2024election) _2026-08-16 · lambert · (untitled)_ Michigan charges 5 noncitizens for allegedly voting in 2024 election Topic(s) Politics Cross-Post lambert Sun, 16 Aug 2026 - 12:00 Lambert here: Not 5,000,000, not 500,000, not 50,000, not 5,000, not 500. 5. And for this, the shouting heads? The empurpled faces and throbbing veins? It’s bizarre. And certainly not worth creating a ginormous database of citizen IDs, which is where this is all… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-17](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260817) _2026-08-16 · lambert · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-17 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon lambert Sun, 16 Aug 2026 - 00:14 “Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds: Insights from acoustic recordings and community science” \[ Science \]: The total solar eclipse that occurred across the central southern to northeastern parts of the US presented an opportunity to study the responses of animals to rapid changes in light. Aguilar… ## [Michael Hudson: Trump’s Economic Waterloo](https://thejackpot.blog/node/MichaelHudsonTrump%E2%80%99sEconomicWaterloo) _2026-08-15 · lambert · (untitled)_ Michael Hudson: Trump’s Economic Waterloo Topic(s) Politics Cross-Post lambert Sat, 15 Aug 2026 - 14:00 Lambert here: Normally, I stay away from geopolitics on the principle expressed, of Hollywood, by William Goldman: “Nobody knows anything.” Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see Michael Hudson put the pieces together, as he sees them. Note the date of the podcast, of which this is a transcript:… ## [Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-16](https://thejackpot.blog/node/GoodnightMoon20260816) _2026-08-15 · lambert · (untitled)_ Goodnight Moon, 2026-08-16 Topic(s) Goodnight Moon lambert Sat, 15 Aug 2026 - 05:04 “Awe-Inspiring Images from This Year’s Solar Eclipse” \[ Nautil.us \]. Indeed: Image: 2026 Total Solar Eclipse (NHQ202608120205) by NASA HQ PHOTO, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. I checked. It’s not AI. Add new comment ## [Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-14](https://thejackpot.blog/node/TodaysWaterCooler20260814) _2026-08-14 · lambert · (untitled)_ Today's Water Cooler, 2026-08-14 Topic(s) Water Cooler lambert Fri, 14 Aug 2026 - 12:32 Don’t Miss These (1) “Inside the D.S.A.’s Audacious Quest for Power in the Democratic Party. ” • How about DSA show some party discipline? (2) “The tactic of AOC and her allies to giggle away the ‘craziness’ of Woke-era abuses should not be tolerated. ” • Democrat NGOs ffs… (3) “How Occupy Wall Street Still… ## [Documents show how feds spied on protesters, left-wing organizations and unions during Metro Surge](https://thejackpot.blog/node/DocumentsshowhowfedsspiedonprotestersleftwingorganizationsandunionsduringMetroSurge) _2026-08-14 · lambert · (untitled)_ Documents show how feds spied on protesters, left-wing organizations and unions during Metro Surge Topic(s) Politics lambert Fri, 14 Aug 2026 - 12:00 Lambert: So the Ohkrana thinks the SEIU are domestic terrorists? Are they all out of their minds? “Documents show how feds spied on protesters, left-wing organizations and unions during Metro Surge” \[Madison McVan, Minnesota Reformer (CC BY-NC-ND… ## [Words of the Day, 2026-08-14](https://thejackpot.blog/node/WordsoftheDay20260814) _2026-08-14 · lambert · (untitled)_ Words of the Day, 2026-08-14 Topic(s) Words of the Day lambert Fri, 14 Aug 2026 - 10:00 Dad Joke of the Day: What was the surprise hit of the buffet at the annual Film Noir conference? --\> On this day (1908): Race riot in Springfield, Illinois; a white mob attacks a Black neighborhood when lynching plans are thwarted by local police, resulting in at least 17 people dying over two days; the event…