Notices by Brian Vastag (brianvastag@sciencemastodon.com)

Two days ago I planted this endangered hibiscus (species Hibiscus clayi) for Beth, my partner who died last December. The species is part of a 'genetic lifeboat' program run by the university & some federal agencies & nonprofits.

Today it is showing its first blossom.

Being a green thumb in Hawaii is like level 1 stuff 😂.

#bloomscrolling

Disabled people have been relying on each for a long, long time. In the chronic illness spaces, all we have is each other huddling against a largely hostile world. It is true mutual aid, bi- and omnidirectional, not just one-way requests for donations (which is fine but I don't consider that mutual aid because what part of it is mutual?).

Example from @meactnet is the Canary Corps. https://www.meaction.net/canary-corps/

Learn from us.

#disability #ChronicIllness

Just looked at granular #Wisconsin data.

30,000 votes. Trump won the state by less than half of Lambeau Field's capacity.

Fucking hell.

#USpol #election2024

Seen on Kauai.

@onan

This news was broken by people who follow the #UAP issue months ago and now the WSJ has decided that DOD not being able to ID objects flying over a big Air Force facility is a story.

I think it is too...I'd like our military to know who or what is evading air defenses and buzzing bases.

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/drones-military-pentagon-defense-331871f4

Nothing's shocking anymore except this chart.

#healthcare #medicine

A Trumper just yelled at me to go back to California, which I find endlessly funny as #Hawaii went for Biden at 64% and we are far more liberal than California on just about every policy. We have universal healthcare, for crissakes.

#USpol

Some people who describe themselves as pro-Palenstinian took down and breached the Internet Archive because....it's in the United States and the U.S. is responsible for genocide donchta know.

Absolute brain worms.

https://gizmodo.com/hacktivists-claim-responsibility-for-taking-down-the-internet-archive-2000510339

Vance's idea to group chronically ill people into high-risk pools so insurers can shun & gouge us was something that used to happen pre-ACA. So yes, he wants to go backwards. Fuck this guy and his terrible ideas.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/09/20/vance-health-care-affordable-care-act/

Convicted felons cannot serve on the DC city council but they can sit behind the Resolute Desk and sign bills denying DC budget autonomy.

Nice country we have here.

#USpol

https://wapo.st/47kEJs9

Do you want to know a secret about ice cream? It has air in it. In the biz it's called 'overrun.' Cheap ice cream has 100% overrun, meaning the volume has been doubled with air.

Premium brands like Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Dazs typically have 20-30% overrun. Less air, denser ice cream.

My dad worked for Good Humor/Breyer's. :)

Follow me for more ice cream insights. 🍦🍨

Pharma company BioVie announces phase 2 trial of investigational new drug for #LongCovid. The drug candidate, bezesterim, is also being tested in patients with Alzheimer's & Parkinson's diseases. The company says it crosses the blood-brain barrier & reduces neuroinflammation, which is often seen in long covid.

It's being funded by DOD.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/biovie-announces-fda-authorization-investigational-120000163.html

@mackayim2022 I think with proper diagnosis, we could do away with "long covid": Some people have post-viral fatigue syndrome; if it lasts 6+ months it typically converts to a dx of ME/CFS; some people have POTS & other autonomic dysfunction; some have lung damage; some have kidney damage; myocarditis; etc.

I follow the literature fairly closely & I don't think there's anything new with post-covid conditions that has not been seen before.

The Auroraesids (tm) are tonight.

#space #sky #astronomy #incoming #the #sun #is #trying #to #kill #us

https://www.space.com/perseid-meteor-shower-and-northern-lights-auroras-august-2024-photos

As a Midwesterner, lemme say that this is the photo that gets the votes.

Also a big plus? He didn't shoot the dog and bury it in a shallow grave next to his garage.

#Walz #Harris #uspol

(photographer unknown but maybe it was his hunting buddy)

Did you know it's ILLEGAL for American newspaper editors to use the term "racism"? They're so fucking craven.

#USpol #journalism

Wow, Copa America championship game delayed 30 minutes until 8:30pm due to unruly fans says broadcaster Fox.

#soccer #futbol #sports

Trump punished states that didn't vote for him.

Biden just quickly promised aid to Texas after Hurricane Beryl.

But it's not breaking norms or exciting so I doubt any political editors will take a second glance at it and few people will learn about it.

#USpol #journalism

#Canada make the semi-final of Copa America with the American coach the US players supposedly vetoed last summer, a guy sometimes called Ted Lasso cuz I guess he's nice?

Anyway, congrats Jesse Marsch.

#soccer #sports

This is really good news for people applying for #disability benefits in the US. My friend & former colleague Lisa Rein has been doing great work holding the Social Security Administration to account in recent years. She wrote about how SSA has been using outdated jobs ('nut sorter, 'pneumatic tube operator') to deny benefits; now the agency is removing those jobs from consideration.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/24/social-security-disability-benefits-jobs-list-outdated/