The signature of authoritarianism is not the use of force, but the pathological dependence on deception, often to the extent of becoming self-delusional.”
– Tom G Palmer and Simon Lee
WELL, THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, YOU KNOW: We may have spotted a parallel universe going backwards in time. Does it come with a bearded Spock?
“COVID-19 Policy Watch is now live at www.covid19policywatch.org [links fixed]. We currently cover federal policies for 12 countries, including the US, UK, and China, with 15 more underway. We expect to expand our network of publishing partners from three, to five over the coming days. All feedback is most welcome
Watch these virtual concert livestreams during your social distancing - Digital Trends – “Even if we can’t go see our favorite artists play in person right now, almost every musician out there is playing online concerts for their fans to keep people entertained while we all stay at home. There’s no shortage of musical acts performing online every day, so we’ve compiled a list of all the upcoming livestream concerts scheduled throughout the rest of this month. Check back on this story, as we’ll be continuously updating it…”
To understand COVID we need evidence, skepticism — and vigorous debate | Spectator USA.
WELL, THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, YOU KNOW: We may have spotted a parallel universe going backwards in time. Does it come with a bearded Spock?
“COVID-19 Policy Watch is now live at www.covid19policywatch.org [links fixed]. We currently cover federal policies for 12 countries, including the US, UK, and China, with 15 more underway. We expect to expand our network of publishing partners from three, to five over the coming days. All feedback is most welcome
Watch these virtual concert livestreams during your social distancing - Digital Trends – “Even if we can’t go see our favorite artists play in person right now, almost every musician out there is playing online concerts for their fans to keep people entertained while we all stay at home. There’s no shortage of musical acts performing online every day, so we’ve compiled a list of all the upcoming livestream concerts scheduled throughout the rest of this month. Check back on this story, as we’ll be continuously updating it…”
To understand COVID we need evidence, skepticism — and vigorous debate | Spectator USA.
… what we are seeing with COVID-19 is not ‘science’ in action. Science involves matching theories with evidence and testing a theory with attempts to falsify it, so that it can be refined to better match reality. A theory from a group of scientists is just that: a theory. Believing the opinion of that group without a critical verification process is just that: belief
The author is a physician and a former professor of pathology at Hull York Medical School.
A collection of the world's weirdest stock photographs
The author is a physician and a former professor of pathology at Hull York Medical School.
A collection of the world's weirdest stock photographs
THEY AND SYDNEY CHOSE POORLY: Why New Orleans Pushed Ahead With Mardi Gras, Even as It Planned for Coronavirus: A cache of internal emails reveals city officials believed chances were “low” that the festivities would help spread the virus, a prediction that proved tragically off base.
YouTube channel Great Big Story (which is a frequent source of videos for kottke.org) recently asked eight filmmakers in eight different countries to report in on how they, their families, and their communities are doing during the pandemic.
Our daily routines have been disrupted, and many of us have been separated from friends, family and work. We checked in on eight households to see how they are feeling, how they are passing the time, how they are keeping connected to others, and what they are looking forward to in a post-pandemic world. From Beijing, China, to Mashhad, Iran, to Melbourne, Australia, here’s how we’re all working through this thing, one day at a time, together.
They’re asking viewers to donate to the UN’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. Google is matching $2 for every $1 donated, so please join me in donating if you are able.
See also Pandemic Stories from Around the World, sent in by kottke.org readers.
To be “well-intentioned but ill-informed” is not enough for an officer of the law UK affairs
“Police under fire for telling dad he can’t play with his kids in his own front garden”, LBC reports. I found myself with a certain sympathy for the cop lady. Daniel Connell, the man who made this recording, gave her an unnecessarily hard time by pretending to misunderstand what she meant by “special powers”. But his pretended misunderstanding of her powers was not nearly as serious as her actual misunderstanding of them. As the title of this post says, it is not asking too much that those entrusted with the police power should have some basic knowledge of what that power does and does not entitle them to demand. South Yorkshire Police released a statement on Twitter, saying:
“This encounter was well-intentioned but ill-informed and we’d like to apologise for the way it was handled. “We’ve spoken to the officer concerned and made our approach absolutely clear. “Again, we apologise for any inconvenience caused and will continue our work to support the NHS.”
What People Power Looks Like in a Pandemic Democracy Corey Robin,New York Review of Books
“Police under fire for telling dad he can’t play with his kids in his own front garden”, LBC reports. I found myself with a certain sympathy for the cop lady. Daniel Connell, the man who made this recording, gave her an unnecessarily hard time by pretending to misunderstand what she meant by “special powers”. But his pretended misunderstanding of her powers was not nearly as serious as her actual misunderstanding of them. As the title of this post says, it is not asking too much that those entrusted with the police power should have some basic knowledge of what that power does and does not entitle them to demand. South Yorkshire Police released a statement on Twitter, saying:
“This encounter was well-intentioned but ill-informed and we’d like to apologise for the way it was handled. “We’ve spoken to the officer concerned and made our approach absolutely clear. “Again, we apologise for any inconvenience caused and will continue our work to support the NHS.”
