Albert Weale

We can’t lose focus on what matters – right now, Republicans in Texas are trying to gerrymander district lines to unfairly win five seats in next year’s midterm elections. This is a power grab that undermines our democracy.

Who knew that turning an emerging democracy into a Potemkin kleptocracy with facade institutions might alienate the parts of the country you couldn’t gerrymander?

Why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose The Trump administration has asked NASA staffers to draw up plans to end at least two satellite missions that measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to current and former NASA employees.

There are many ways of destroying the integrity of #science. But one of the most critical is deleting data or failing to collect data or firing the people or destroying the instruments that collect the data that contradicts your preconceived notions.
www.npr.org/2025/08/04/n...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Latest PSR: Setälä and O'Flynn on "Can Deliberative Democracy Provide Remedies for Affective Polarisation?" journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

2/3 storey wooden houses on left side of the street, some 1920's black cars travelling away down the road

A study of light, shadow and perspective ~ Edward Hopper’s watercolour of Prospect Street, Gloucester, a popular artists’ colony (1928) www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6...

An oil on canvas painting with about 8 girls in the foreground, playing in the sand, and the ocean and more human figures in the background. Almost everyone wears a bonnet or straw hat and is clothed in white, except for one girl in the center of the painting, who wears an olive-colored dress and a red or orange kerchief on her head.

The Beach, c. 1909, by #LauraKnight (British, 1877-1970), who was born #otd, Aug 4. Held by Laing Art Gallery; source, artuk.org/discover/art... #DameLauraKnight #womenartists #artherstory

When two artists paint the same view: Rue de la Chausée à Argenteuil, painted on the same day in 1872 by Claude Monet & Alfred Sisley, friends and founding figures of French Impressionism, who set up their easels side by side en plein air. Private Collection | Musée d’Orsay

When two artists paint the same view: Rue de la Chausée à Argenteuil, painted on the same day in 1872 by Claude Monet & Alfred Sisley, friends and founding figures of French Impressionism, who set up their easels side by side en plein air. Private Collection | Musée d’Orsay

When two artists paint the same view: Rue de la Chausée à Argenteuil, painted on the same day in 1872 by Claude Monet & Alfred Sisley, friends and founding figures of French Impressionism, who set up their easels side by side en plein air.
Private Collection | Musée d’Orsay

Why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose The Trump administration has asked NASA staffers to draw up plans to end at least two satellite missions that measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to current and former NASA employees.

The anti-science Trumpers may be planning to destroy two working satellites that provide vital measurements about carbon dioxide & climate (and data that forecasts crop yield, drought conditions, & more). They cost $750 million to make but only $15 million/yr to operate.
www.npr.org/2025/08/04/n...

Lot of talk of beautiful #snails today. May I introduce this lovely specimen in Harston?

Devil's Dyke, August 2015

oh dear

Unhedged chart of the week: Japanese and Korean investors in US stocks have made great local returns because of currency weakness. What happens when the story changes?
@hakyungkim.bsky.social
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The recent surge in new accounts here has cooled a bit, but we are I guess about 36 hours away from the 38m users celebration party, so you need to put out the bunting in your streets soon.

Almost unchanged in appearance, still a a verandah on rivers edge, similar awnings and table settings

You can still dine at Restaurant Fournaise, on the banks of the Seine, the setting for Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party 140 years ago. Incidentally, that’s Aline, Renoir’s future wife, at lower L, & fellow artist Gustave Caillebotte at lower R www.artinsociety.com/floating-ple...

Mission under way to save 'world's most beautiful' snails Researchers in Cuba and the UK are working together to reveal the biological secrets of the beautiful but endangered Polymita snail.

Morning Bluesky.

Here’s some natural beauty and the fight to save it.

Mouse is a scientist

#MorningPrayer
Help us, Lord, to know
that the value of other people
lies in their personhood,
not their perfection;
in their existence,
not their effectiveness.
Grow in us the capacity
to value others
for who they are,
people made in your image,
and bear with each other in love.

Huge support for membership of the Human Rights Convention, as well - 30 points ahead. ~AA

The logic of Chance: John Venn, influential English mathematician, logician & philosopher, whose work advanced understanding of probability, born #OTD 1834; Fellow & President of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge; known for Venn diagram. Portrait 1899 by Charles Brock @caiuscollege.bsky.social Venn diagram by Crispian Jago

The logic of Chance: John Venn, influential English mathematician, logician & philosopher, whose work advanced understanding of probability, born #OTD 1834; Fellow & President of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge; known for Venn diagram. Portrait 1899 by Charles Brock @caiuscollege.bsky.social Venn diagram by Crispian Jago

The Logic of Chance: John Venn, influential English mathematician, logician & philosopher, who advanced understanding of probability, born #OTD 1834; President of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge; created Venn diagram.
Portrait 1899 by Brock @caiuscollege.bsky.social
Venn diagram: Crispian Jago

#stainedglassSunday
Ukrainian Cathedral W1

Texas Democrats are breaking quorum

We’re not fighting for the Democratic Party — we’re fighting for the democratic process.

For the American experiment. For the people.

We’ll need your prayers and your support. Sign up to stay updated and help out: bit.ly/45qckR4?utm_...

My Democratic colleagues and I just left the state of Texas to break quorum and stop Trump’s redistricting power grab.

Trump is trying to rig the midterm elections right before our eyes. But first he’ll have to come through us.

It’s time to fight back.

The Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1676, completed in 1695; interior with distinctive limewood carvings by ‘The King’s Carver’ Grinling Gibbons, acclaimed Dutch sculptor who died in London #OTD 1721. @trincolllibcam.bsky.social

The Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1676, completed in 1695; interior with distinctive limewood carvings by ‘The King’s Carver’ Grinling Gibbons, acclaimed Dutch sculptor who died in London #OTD 1721. @trincolllibcam.bsky.social

The Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1676, completed in 1695; interior with distinctive limewood carvings by ‘The King’s Carver’ Grinling Gibbons, acclaimed Dutch sculptor who died in London #OTD 1721. @trincolllibcam.bsky.social

The Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1676, completed in 1695; interior with distinctive limewood carvings by ‘The King’s Carver’ Grinling Gibbons, Dutch sculptor who died in London #OTD 1721.
@trincolllibcam.bsky.social

I gave up my subscription to the Post when it expired recently. I feared I would miss @pbump.com I now see he has left. Hope to read him in another place soon. Always insightful.

Chinese naval exercises are now taking place in the Guangdong waters, Taiwan Strait.

What’s interesting is that the drills for the first time involve both civilian and commercial vessels, which are widely expected to be used by the Chinese Navy in any landing operation in a conflict with Taiwan.

August 1, 2025 AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION Committee on Economic Statistics and Committee on Government Relations Statement from the American Economic Association on the Dismissal of the BLS Commissioner Leaders of the American Economic Association express their grave concern over the dismissal of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) earlier today. The independence of the federal statistical agencies is essential to the proper functioning of a modern economy. Accurate, timely, and impartial statistics are the foundation upon which households, businesses, and policymakers make critical decisions. Undermining the independence or credibility of these agencies threatens the integrity of the information that markets, institutions, and the public rely on every day. Measuring the vast and dynamic U.S. economy in real time is inherently challenging. It is standard practice for statistical estimates to be revised as more complete and higher-quality data become available. These revisions reflect the commitment of statistical agencies to accuracy, transparency, and methodological rigor-not failure or bias. The BLS has long had a well-deserved reputation for professional excellence and nonpartisan integrity. Safeguarding this tradition is vital for the continued health of the U.S. economy and public trust in our institutions. We call upon elected officials to respect and preserve the independence of the nation's statistical infrastructure. Lawrence Katz President, American Economic Association Katharine Abraham President-Elect, American Economic Association Karen Dynan Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Economic Statistics Kenneth Troske Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Government Relations

Statement from the largest economics association about the BLS firing

As context: AEA approximately never makes such public statements

This is a big deal

A drawing in watercolor and gouache over traces of black chalk of some stalks of pink and white Persian buttercup against an ivory background. The bloom on the left is shown from the back; in the middle is a flower in full bloom. Also depicted is a withered flower with only three petals left. At the bottom right of the drawing is the artist's signature in cursive handwriting.

Persian Buttercups, n.d., by #AlidaWithoos (Dutch, c. 1660-1730). Private collection; source, www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=... #womenartists #artherstory #hernaturalhistory

The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.

Donald Trump is trying to rig the next election.

He told Republicans to redraw the political maps in Texas to give himself 5 more seats and protect his majority in Congress.

This is the rot at the core of our broken political system.

The actual story here is that virtually no one watches TV news channels