Musk's Idiocy Got Twitter Banned in Brazil

X (formerly Twitter) has been banned in Brazil after failing to meet a deadline set by a Supreme Court judge to name a new legal representative in the country.  Alexandre de Moraes ordered the "immediate and complete suspension" of the social media platform until it complies with all court orders and pays existing fines.  Reacting to the decision, X owner Elon Musk said: "Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes."

The social media network is said to be used by only 10% of the nation's 200 million inhabitants.  By Saturday morning some users had reported access to the platform was no longer possible.

The row began in April, with the judge ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts for spreading disinformation.  X then closed its office in Brazil three months later, after its representative had been threatened with arrest if she did not comply with legal orders.  Justice Moraes had ordered that X accounts which spread disinformation (many supporters of the former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro)  must be blocked while they are under investigation.  Moraes said the company's legal representatives would be held liable if any accounts were reactivated.

It is the latest in a series of rows involving the tech billionaire - who has clashed with the EU over the regulation of X and earlier this month became embroiled in a war of words with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The head of Brazil's telecommunications agency, which has been tasked with suspending the platform, said he is "proceeding with the compliance" to do so, according to Reuters news agency.  Justice Moraes has given companies such as Apple and Google a five-day deadline to remove X from its application stores and block its use on iOS and Android systems.  People or businesses using means such as VPNs (virtual private network) to access the platform could be fined R$50,000 ($9K)

According to the judge's order, a ban will be in effect until X names a new legal representative in the country and pays fines for violating Brazilian law.  In a previous post from one of its official accounts, X had said it would not comply with the demands.  Meanwhile, the bank accounts of Musk's satellite internet firm Starlink have been frozen in Brazil following an earlier order by the country's Supreme Court.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Long Dark Night

It's That Time of Year

Brazilians Getting More Shy at the Beach

In Brazil, home to sensual carnival parades and the world’s skimpiest bikinis, the country’s nudists are facing an unexpected predicament: Brazilians won’t take their clothes off in public.  And with social conservatism prevalent across parts of Brazil, the country’s naturist federation has hired naked guards to try to keep clothed bathers off Abricó beach, a secluded stretch of sand in Rio de Janeiro and one of the nation’s last remaining nudist beaches. 

“Hey man, take ‘em off!” shouts Anderson de Oliveira, a 46-year-old driver who moonlights as one of Abricó’s watchmen every weekend. Technically, bathers have a constitutional right to wear whatever they want, but the nudists strive to maintain a certain vibe. Dressed in nothing but a baseball cap, a walkie-talkie dangling from his neck, he gestures energetically at a new arrival and the offending trunks. “What’s the problem?” says de Oliveira, known as Jesus because of the expansive Jesus tattoo across his chest. “God made us this way!” 

Getting naked in Brazil is harder than it looks.

J.D. Vance is One Weird Motherfucker

Since being named as Donald Trump’s running partner, J.D. Vance has been attracting scrutiny wherever he goes, with everything from his awkward TikTok videos to his “weird” persona. It wasn't much help when Vance was roasted for asking about Swiss cheese at a Philadelphia cheesesteak spot echoing a historic political scandal.

As folks have gotten to learn more about the faux-hillbilly author, Vance’s popularity numbers have continued to get worse. And seemingly every day, a new tape or video of him reveals more weird and misogynistic things about his worldview.  And his infamous use of the phrase “childless cat ladies” to attack Democrats has only stirred further outrage among likely independent voters.

But Vance is keeping the allegations of weirdness  alive after his recent visit to a donut shop in Georgia.  The donut shop worker serving Vance didn’t want to be filmed, but the pair still had an incredibly awkward exchange while Vance ordered a load of donuts. 

“I’m JD Vance. I’m running for vice president,” Vance tells the donut shop worker.  The worker replied: “Okay.”  Vance continued: “We’re gonna do two dozen. Just a random assortment of stuff here.  Everything. A lot of glazed here. Sprinkle stuff. A lot of cinnamon rolls. Just whatever makes sense,” Vance added.  Then came more awkward small talk, as Vance tried to chat to the clearly uninterested workers. Vance asked how long the shop had been open, with the staff replying “four years”. “About four years? Okay,” Vance said. “Well, we selected this place. I didn’t know if it had been here for 20 years or four years. You never know.”

That wasn't the only thing that people noticed about the clip as Vance's hair, which appears to have a rather brutal chop job at the back had people joking that "even his hairdresser hates him."  Someone else compared it to a 'medieval punishment,' saying on social media: "I still can’t get past JD Vance’s haircut. It looks like something they do to punish u in Medieval Times. Like the dudes who cleanup donkey dung all day are forced to wear these cuts, so everyone knows he’s a donkey boy."

Another user quipped: "Vance has truly one of the worst haircuts I’ve ever seen, oh my god. Unfinished business there on the top."

 

Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga - Die With a Smile

Me Looking For Memes to Steal

Florida GOP Dragging Its Universities into the Dumpster Over a Silly Culture War

A public college in Florida tossed hundreds of books in the trash, with many of the discarded titles appearing to be related to LGBTQ issues, race and women’s rights.  Photos and videos posted to social media by a reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune show the books in at least one dumpster and cardboard boxes in parking lots at the New College of Florida.

The book titles that are visible in the photos include “Cures: A Gay Man’s Odyssey,” “Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe,” “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom,” “Feminist Thought” and “Race Music: Black Cultures From Bebop to Hip-Hop.”  New College of Florida defended  its actions in discarding the books, describing it as part of “longstanding annual procedures.”

The disposal of the books came amid a yearslong effort by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to turn the small liberal arts school — known for its progressive student body — more conservative.  New College also confirmed that it had discarded books associated with its discontinued gender studies program. New College announced last year that it was dropping the program, several months after DeSantis appointed six new members to the college’s board of trustees with the reported aim of changing the college’s culture.

In May of last year, at a ceremony held at New College, DeSantis signed a bill into law that banned public universities and colleges in Florida from using state or federal funding for diversity programs.  “Separate from the New College library weeding its collection, a number of books associated with the discontinued Gender Studies program were removed from a room in Hamilton Center that is being repurposed,” the statement added.

Bacardi Jackson, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, denounced the disposal of the books in a lengthy and sharp statement.  "These actions are nothing short of a cultural purge, reminiscent of some of history’s darkest times, where regimes sought to control thought by burning books and erasing knowledge,” Jackson wrote. “The fact that these books—sources of wisdom, diverse perspectives, and the narratives of marginalized communities—were discarded in the dead of night, without transparency, and without giving students the opportunity to preserve them, should outrage every Floridian and every American who values democracy and free thought.”

Books — and particularly titles on LGBTQ people, race and women — have become a focal point in Florida’s yearslong culture war. As the state has enacted laws to limit the teaching of sexual orientation, gender identity and critical race theory in its public schools in the last couple of years, some schools have banned or removed books with LGBTQ, Black or female characters from their libraries in an effort to comply with the new laws.  A recent study by PEN America on the 2022-23 school year found that book bans were most prevalent in Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas and Utah and that 56% of the books targeted were either about race or LGBTQ issues, or featured characters of color or queer characters.

 

Trump Desperate for Legitimancy From the Queen; She Thought He Was Rude

Queen Elizabeth found Donald Trump "very rude", a sensational new biography of the late monarch claims. The sovereign, who hosted the Orange Man twice during her reign, is said to have 'particularly disliked' the way he looked over her shoulder as if 'in search of others more interesting'.

She also mused over his relationship with his wife Melania and said she believed they must have 'some sort of arrangement'.   The astonishing claims are made by Craig Brown in his new book, A Voyage Around The Queen.'  He reports the conversation occurred at a lunch 'weeks after' one of Mr Trump's visits. 

Brown writes: "Over the course of her reign, Her Majesty entertained many controversial foreign leaders, including Bashar al-Assad, Robert Mugabe, Idi Amin, Donald Trump, Emperor Hirohito and Vladimir Putin. She may not have found their company convivial; upon their departure, she may even have voiced a discreet word of disapproval."

"A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him "very rude": she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting.  She also believed President Trump "must have some sort of arrangement" with his wife Melania, or else why would she have remained married to him?"

"For his part, Donald Trump was confident he had been her favorite guest ever. "There are those that say they have never seen the Queen have a better time, a more animated time," he later told America's Fox News." The embarrassing account will no doubt come as a blow to Trump, who is currently seeking re-election as President.

The Queen first met Trump in 2018, a year after he was inaugurated as the 45th US President. As a result of his political toxicity it was not a 'state visit' but classed as a 'working visit', which meant little in the way of pomp and pageantry and no state banquet.  His meeting with the Queen instead took place over tea at Windsor Castle, which most of the other senior royals refused to attend, but did involve the inspection of a guard of honor.    Shockingly,Trump kept the then 92-year-old monarch waiting for ten minutes in 80 degree heat and repeatedly walked in front of her as they inspected the guard of honor, leaving her trailing behind.   He then abruptly stopped and forced her to sidestep to get alongside him.  Trump advisors later revealed that Trump was 'awestruck' by the Queen, and saw a meeting with her as a sign that he 'had made it in life'.  

Don't You Know It

Zoomer Morons Going All-In on "Raw-Dogging"

Last week, Damion Bailey posted on Instagram that he had just achieved his “personal best” – a 13-and-a-half hour flight between Shanghai and Dallas without any in-flight entertainment, films, books or music. “It’s quite tough, honestly,” the 34-year-old from Miami, Florida told BBC News. But he keeps doing it.

Bailey is part of a new travel trend, known as “raw-dogging”, where passengers spend long hours mid-air just staring straight ahead. The longer you do it, the tougher you have apparently proven yourself to be.  “Just raw-dogged it, 15 hour flight to Melbourne," boasts Australian music producer Torren Foot on TikTok, blinking hard as if to stay awake.  "No music, no movies, just flight map."

Some also avoid eating or drinking. A few say they won’t get up at all, even to use the toilet. But health experts warn that more extreme versions of the trend can pose serious risks.  Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland recently joined the trend, posting that he had got through a seven-hour flight with “no phone, no sleep, no water, no food” and had found it "easy".  

Most are asking "why"?

Increasing numbers of young men (mostly athletic-looking young men) are posting videos of themselves on board, staring at the in-flight map or the safety instructions card, vowing to use the “power of the mind” to get them through.  As for the term “raw-dogging”, it might have carnal origins, but increasingly it is used for anything being done without protection or support.  For these men, the appeal seems to be the opportunity to prove their resilience and self-control.

Medical experts warn of the significant health risks of taking long flights without food, water or moving around.  “They’re idiots,” says Dr Gill Jenkins, a GP who also works as a medical escort in air ambulance work. “A digital detox might do you some good, but all the rest of it is against medical advice," she says.  "The whole thing about the risk of long-haul flying is that you’re at risk of dehydration.  If you’re not moving you’re at risk of deep vein thrombosis, which is compounded by dehydration. Not going to the toilet, that’s a bit stupid. If you need the loo, you need the loo."

Business psychologist Danielle Haig says she can see why people would want to spend time in quiet reflection, allowing their mind to wander, in our increasingly fast-paced, technology-driven world. But she reckons that raw-dogging allows young men, in particular, the chance to showcase their ability to handle solitude and discomfort with stoicism.

“Sounds like self-inflicted torture with literally no incentive," says one social media user. "Give me my in-flight wi-fi, my sleep mask and let’s throw in some snacks.” Others doubt whether all of the people posting about their 10-hour flights really have stuck to their self-imposed rules.

And some who have tried raw-dogging themselves haven’t come away impressed.  "Big mistake," says a user on TikTok called Brenda. "Pretty sure the only thing that took off was my sanity.  Note to self, won’t be doing that again. Definitely an overrated experience. Not at all enlightening as people make out.”

 

Wait For the MAGA Freak-out: The Brown People are Taking Over!

The Latino population in the United States grew by 3.2 million from the beginning of the pandemic to mid-2023, accounting for 91% of the country's overall population increase during this period, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by William Frey of the Brookings Institution.

Frey, a demographer, attributed the growth to three main factors, saying:  "The post-2020 period has been impacted by a pandemic, a decline and then an uptick in immigration, and shifts in both births and deaths—all of which has affected overall population gains and losses"

The analysis by Fray also showed that White population declined by 2.1 million people in the aforementioned time span, mainly due to a higher number of deaths than births, a consequence of an aging demographic with fewer women of childbearing age and lower fertility rates compared to other groups.

Fray's projections indicate that by 2030 nonwhite groups will make up 44% of the US population, with Latino residents comprising one-fifth of the total. By 2050, one-quarter of the population will be Hispanic, and more than half will belong to nonwhite groups. What's more, youth population (which is already "minority white") will be comprised of 53% minorities in 2030 and 60% minorities in 2050, with the Latino shares of youth rising from 27 percent to 31 percent.

"As a result, the future of the nation's labor force productivity and economic well-being will rely heavily on the success and integration of today's and tomorrow's increasingly multiracial younger population", predicted Fray based on his findings.

Frey emphasized that these trends are crucial for the nation's future and should therefore be accompanied by coherent policies, concluding: "Although the term "diversity" has become a politically divisive one in conversations about policies ranging from affirmative action to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, the changing demographics evident in these census statistics underscore the need to make education, employment, and related opportunities available to young populations of all racial and ethnic groups." 

 

Childish Gambino, Jorja Smith & Amaarae - In the Night

Musk's Daughter Trashes Him as a Delusional, Serial Adulter

Billionaire Elon Musk's estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, slammed her father as a “serial adulterer” in a social media rant in which she accused her father of spreading lies about her and cultivating a “delusional” public image about his family life and ambitions that are far removed from reality. Wilson, who legally changed her name and gender at the age of 18 in 2022, minced no words in her recent comments, directly challenging Musk’s portrayal of their relationship.

Responding to a nostalgic post on X by Musk that included his children and the comment “all 5 boys super happy” prompting Wilson to retort on Meta’s rival Threads platform.  She wrote: “Look, I don’t know if you genuinely believe this or if you live in your own delusional fantasy land and frankly, I don’t care. It seems to me like you’re trying to rebuild your brand image as the “caring paternal father” which I will not let go unchallenged. If I’m going to be honest, this is absolutely pathetic.”

She went on to criticize her father for repeatedly misgendering her and his public statements about her.  She continued: “‘neo-marxist/communist who was brainwashed at high school to be trans and ‘think [sic] being rich is evil’ is the best you could go with… really? Like… really?! If you’re going to lie about me, why would you choose a method so obnoxious in its stupidity. It’s beyond stupid, it’s desperate. The fact anyone believed this for even five seconds is beyond me. Not to mention going out of your way to misgender me which is both completely transparent and honestly just sad.”

Wilson went on to argue that Musk was attempting to brand himself in line with “western values” or as a “christian family man” but claimed, to the contrary, that Musk was a “serial adulterer” and a “bigot” who has been sued for discrimination.  She added: “You are not a family man, you are a serial adulterer who won’t stop fucking lying about your own children. You are not a christian, as far as I’m aware you’ve never stepped foot in a church. You are not some “bastion for equality/progress”. You called Arabic the ‘language of the enemy’ when I was 6, have been sued for discrimation [sic] multiple times, and are from Apartheid South Africa.”

Wilson also questioned Musk’s broader claims of being an advocate for climate change and space exploration: “You are not ‘saving the planet’, you do not give a fuck about climate change and you’re lying about multi-planetary civilization as both an excuse, and because you want to seem like the CEO from Ready Player One.”

Musk, who has faced criticism for his views on various social issues, recently claimed in an interview with Canadian psychologist and conservative media commentator Jordan Peterson that he had been tricked into signing documents for Wilson’s gender transition.  He said: “I lost my son, essentially. They call it ‘deadnaming’ for a reason. The reason they call it ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead.” Musk added that this experience had motivated him to combat what he described as the “woke mind virus” which he said had “killed” his child.

Wilson, however, refutes this narrative, insisting that she “disowned” Musk, not the other way around. She criticized Musk’s claims that she was born “gay and slightly autistic,” dismissing the statement as entirely fabricated.  “The entire thing was made up,” she said.

Keeping it Real

 

Separation of Church and State Imperiled in Oklahoma

Educators in Oklahoma are refusing a state order to incorporate the Bible into their lesson plans, setting up an inevitable showdown with the start of the school year just weeks away.  Ryan Walters, the state superintendent of public instruction, last week released guidelines to schools for how they should be integrating the Bible into classrooms, saying educators who are against the initiative “will comply, and I will use every means to make sure of it.”

The message from some schools in the state: Bring it on. 

“I suspect that the first thing that will happen is he will target a specific school district or multiple school districts who he believes are not complying with his directive, those school districts will then have to make a choice as to whether to bend [to] his whim or to sue,” said Rob Miller, superintendent of Bixby Public Schools.  “And I can tell you that if Bixby was one of those schools that he selected to come after, we would file a lawsuit,” Miller told The Hill.

Walters’s guidance, which follows a June announcement of mandatory biblical curricula for grades five through 12, says that lessons on the Christian text should emphasize its historical context, literary significance and artistic and musical influence. The guidance also says a physical copy of the book should be in every classroom, along with copies of the Ten Commandments, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

“To date, schools have been advised by legal counsel (School Board Association and State Attorney General) to not follow the guidance because it goes against current Oklahoma State Law,” said Lee Northcutt, superintendent of Caddo Public Schools, in an email.

The day the guidance was released, a lawsuit was filed against Walters by Joseph Price, a resident of Mayes County. Price says in the suit he is “a concerned citizen and parent of children attending public schools in Oklahoma,” adding that the order violates the separation of church and state.

In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for Walters said, “Oklahoma school districts are required by state law to teach the historical significance of the Bible. Superintendent Walters will hold teachers and administrators accountable. Rogue, left-wing activists who refuse can leave Oklahoma and go to California.”

But The Oklahoman reports that at least a dozen school districts in the state have stated publicly that they do not plan to comply.

Schools have become the leading front in the fight over the separation of church and state. In June, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down the approval of what would have been the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school, saying it “violates state and federal law and is unconstitutional.”

And the Sooner State is not alone is pushing biblical teaching in classrooms. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) earlier this summer signed a law mandating posters of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, though that measure is on hold as it faces legal challenges.

 

Another Tiresome MAGA Boycott

“Prominent” MAGA-world influencers are now boycotting Dunkin' Donuts because they say the company is boycotting the right-wing video platform Rumble by not advertising there. (in case you didn't know:  Rumble as the super racist version of YouTube).  Without any hint of irony, its chief executive Chris Pavlovski claimed the platform “will not be bullied by cancel culture.”  Right-wing extremists are the only ones who can do the bullying and the canceling around here!  Look out, Dunkin’!  You are now on the very long list of targets for MAGA hate-- here are some of my favorites:

Disney - This is one of the longest running feuds in MAGA land, preceding the MAGA movement itself. Back in 1995, the Florida Baptist Convention and other groups started boycotting everything Disney because the company decided to extend health insurance coverage to same-sex partners of employees. Then came Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney’s opposition to his “don’t say gay” bill.

Budweiser -MAGA has had a problem with Budweiser for years, since it ran a pro-immigrant Super Bowl ad in 2017, just before Donald Trump instituted his immigration ban and tensions were high over his plans. Things settled down until the company hired a trans influencer named Dylan Mulvaney for a campaign in 2023. Things then got really stupid, culminating with has-been “rapper” Kid Rock posting a video of himself shooting up cases of the beer.

Oreos -  I'm not kidding-- Oreos! "I do not like gay cookies," Newsmax host Greg Kelly wrote on Twitter. The cookies were deemed “gay” when Oreo sponsored a short film together with advocacy group PFLAG depicting a young man preparing to come out to his grandmother by practicing in front of his family. The horror! 

Keurig - This is a personal favorite. Back in 2017, Keurig decided to stop advertising on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s show because he is a terrible person (and because the coffee company was subject to a consumer movement asking the company to stop advertising on Fox). Hannity got so pissed off that he called for a boycott. But since coffee makers aren’t something you buy everyday, unlike snacks or beer, Hannity fans responded by smashing up their coffee makers—which they had already spent money on. Perfect.

Legos - Those on the right really do hate children, don’t they? The toy company came under MAGA fire in 2023 for a campaign in the U.K. that featured a video titled "the A-Z of awesome—a LEGO celebration of the beautiful, powerful language of the LGBTQIA+ community." The company was accused of producing “transgender building sets” targeted at 5-year-olds by Caitlyn Jenner's political action committee Fairness First. The company clarified: "The information on Twitter is false. We have not released any LGBTQIA+ sets aimed at children. "A-Z of Awesome" was a marketing campaign released last year that featured sets built by our amazing adult fans. None of these sets are for sale."  My goodness.

Chick-Fil-A -  Yes, you heard me right.  A onetime darling of the far right for its then-CEO’s vocal opposition to marriage equality, the company was later disowned by the right in 2023 for trying to diversify its workforce. 

Cracker Barrel - The company that was once notorious for being the target of a lawsuit accusing it of “widespread racism, from segregating black customers in the smoking section to denying them service,” got on the bad side of the far right last year when it went “woke.” The crime? Celebrating Pride Month on the company website, along with a picture of rocking chairs painted in the colors of the rainbow.

NASCAR - The cultural touchstone of conservative America earned the MAGA hate in 2020, when they decided that it wasn’t such a good idea to have the Confederate flag at its events

 

Best Images of the Paris Olympics

Celine Dion performing "Hymn to Love" at the opening ceremony

Quincy Hall celebrating after winning the gold in the 400M race

Marcus Christopher competing in Men's freestyle BMX event

Slovakia's Yang Wang competing in Table Tennis men's singles

LeBron James in the semi-final game against Serbia

Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles with floor gold medalist Rebeca Andrade

American butterfly specialist Alex Shackell swimming in the 4x100 relay

Malaysia's Nur Dhabitah Sabri in springboard diving

Cycling road race in Cote de la butte Montmartre

USA Women after victory in the gold medal basketball game

Photo finish of Noah Lyle's victory in the 100M race

Beach Volleyball venue underneath the Eiffel Tower

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone after setting a world record in 400M hurdles

Gabriel Medina's medal-winning style in shortboard surfing event

Italy's Sofia Raffaeli in rhythmic gymnastics event

Closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics

Paris Olympics: The Memes Keep Rolling In

 

Coldplay - Feels Like I'm Falling in Love

Tesla Sued by Family of Dead Biker

The parents of a motorcyclist who was killed in a 2022 crash involving a Tesla Model 3 on Autopilot in Utah sued the electric carmaker and the vehicle's driver, claiming that the driver assistant software and other safety features are "defective and inadequate." 34-year-old Landon Embry died on the scene after the Model 3 put on Autopilot at 75-80 miles per hour struck the back of his Harley Davidson motorcycle, throwing him from the bike, according to the lawsuit filed in state court in Salt Lake City last week. 

The lawsuit claims the driver of the Model 3 was "tired" and "not in a condition to drive as an ordinarily prudent driver." The complaint said the Autopilot sensors such as cameras "should have identified the hazard posed by Decedent's motorcycle in its presence." 

"A reasonably prudent driver, or adequate auto braking system, would have, and could have slowed or stopped without colliding with the motorcycle," the complaint said.  Tesla was not immediately available for comment. 

The lawsuit adds to growing scrutiny of Tesla's driver assistant systems Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.  A Tesla Model S car was in "Full Self-Driving" mode when it hit and killed a 28-year-old motorcyclist in the Seattle area in April this year, police said this week.   In April, Tesla settled a lawsuit over a 2018 crash that killed an Apple engineer after his Model X, operating on Autopilot, swerved off a highway near San Francisco.

Chimps Can Speak?

Scientists are now claiming that chimpanzees have been able to speak all along, as an international team of researchers looked over old footage with fresh eyes.  

The researchers reviewed old experiment footage, some of chimps kept in grim, unethical conditions, as part of the study.   While  one might think the one word uttered by these caged primates would have been “help”, scientists believe they saw chimpanzees muttering “mama”.  Publishing their findings in Scientific Reports, researchers argue this discovery suggests chimps are capable of speaking in basic language.

In two unearthed videos, chimps appear to be capable of saying mama. One of them is of 'Johnny' the chimp who lived at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida. In the comments section, the original poster wrote that the animal “called everyone Mama”. The second video, from 1962 released as part of Universal Studios’ series of newsreels, shows a chimp called Renata turning around to her handler who encourages her to say something sounding like mama.

Scientists then tested these ‘words’ with an online listening experiment, mixing the animal’s utterances with clips of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  People were asked to listen to the audio clips and asked to write don the sounds they heard, phonetically – most participants agreed that Johnny and Renata were saying mama, scientists found.

A 1947 experiment involved Keith and Catherine Hayes adopting a chimp they named Viki, in to raise as a child. The couple claimed Viki could say simple words such a “mama”, “cup” and “up”, the paper reported. 

 

 

Cannon is Part of Trump's Arsenal

Battle of the Bulge

A French pole vaulter walked away from the Olympics empty-handed because his pole malfunctioned.  Anthony Ammirati, a prominent French pole vaulter, was jumping in his first heat at the Paris Olympics.  While he expected to sail over the bar and land a spot in the final, he ended up catching his smaller vaulting pole on the crossbar.  Commentators were at a complete loss for words in describing the unfortunate mishap. 

Footage of Ammirati accidentally knocking off the bar with his crotch is understandably getting a lot of  media coverage. The Frenchman was attempting to qualify for the pole vaulting final at Stade de France but won the internet instead. Video shows him first hitting the bar with his leg and then dislodging it completely with his package on the way down.  Believe it or not, Ammirati isn’t the first Olympian to have done this. Japanese pole vaulter Hiroki Ogita also banged the bar loose with his leg and privates at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Following the viral moment, the 21-year-old Frenchman admitted his frustration at missing out on a medal, albeit without directly referencing his unfortunate mishap.  "It’s a big disappointment," Ammirati told the French Athletics Federation. "I’m a bit gutted, because I didn’t miss anything on the third attempt at 5.70 m. What I did miss was a bit of jumping in training to fine-tune the settings. Just a technical session."  He then added: 'I was 100 percent physically, but I was missing a bit of pole vault."  If only he was missing his 'bits' on his last vault!

 

Study Confirms that Undocumented Immigrants are NOT Freeloaders

A new study shows that undocumented immigrants paid $96 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue in 2022 while many are shut out of the programs their taxes fund. The findings run counter to anti-immigrant rhetoric that undocumented immigrants are “destroying” social programs.

In 40 states, undocumented immigrants paid higher tax rates than the top 1% of the income scale in those states, according to a study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning, nonprofit think tank.   Study authors also found that undocumented immigrants would contribute $40.2 billion more per year in federal, state and local taxes if all of the undocumented population had access to work authorizations. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reasoned that this boost would come from higher wages associated with employment authorization and easier compliance with income tax laws.

The report also shed further light on the tax revenue provided by undocumented immigrants on the state and local level. Undocumented immigrants are paying 46% of their state and local tax payments through sales and excise taxes. Six states—New Jersey, New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Illinois—were able to raise more than $1 billion each in tax revenue from undocumented immigrants, the nonprofit said.

Undocumented immigrants pay property taxes and sales taxes, and federal payroll taxes taken from their wages, as well as income tax returns using Individual Taxpayer Identification numbers. Despite those payroll taxes funding Medicare, Social Security, and Unemployment Insurance, undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in and receive regular benefits from these social programs. They can also face barriers to getting tax refunds, including getting scammed by unscrupulous tax preparers who target immigrant communities.

American Woman Found Chained to A Tree in India

Mystery surrounds an American woman who was found chained to a tree "screaming" in a forest in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.  50-year-old Lalita Kayi was discovered in the dense forests of Sindhudurg district after her cries for help were heard by shepherds. They alerted the police who sawed off the chain and rescued her.

Kayi, who appeared completely emaciated, was taken to hospital. Her physical health has since improved and she was moved to a psychiatric facility for further treatment, doctors treating her said.  In a written statement to the police, she has alleged that her husband "chained her and left her in the forest to die without food or water".   Police say they are looking for her husband in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on the basis of information she provided them.

Pandurang Gawkar, a cow herder who found her said that he had taken his cattle to graze in the forest when he heard "a woman screaming loudly".  "The sound was coming from the forest on the side of the mountain. When I went there, I saw that one of her legs was tied to a tree. She was screaming like an animal. I called other villagers and the local police."

Police said that on her they found a copy of her passport, which stated that she was an American citizen, and her Aadhaar card - a unique ID for Indians - with her home address in Tamil Nadu.  They said she also had a mobile phone, a tablet and 31,000 rupees ($370; £290) in her possession - which allowed them to rule out theft as a motive.

Locals say that it was the woman's good fortune that the shepherd picked a spot near her to graze his flock that day. The forest she was discovered in is vast and she otherwise could have gone for days without anyone hearing her cries for help. Dr Shivanand Bandekar, dean of Goa Medical College, told The Indian Express newspaper that she had some wounds on her leg and that she appeared to be suffering from a mental health condition.  "We do not know for how long she did not eat, but her vital signs are stable," Dr Bandekar said.  Currently Kavi's health is stable, and she is able to take medication, eat, and interact with people. 

According to the police, Kayi was a ballet dancer and yoga practitioner in America - some reports say specifically Massachusetts - and moved to India about 10 years ago to study yoga and meditation in Tamil Nadu.  It was there that she met her husband - in some media reports, police have called him Satish. Police say they believe at some point she fell out with her husband.  Some reports say that she stayed in a hotel in Goa for two days and then traveled to Mumbai city, India's financial capital.  But it is still unknown how she then ended up in the forest where she was discovered.

Kayi, who was initially unable to speak, communicated with the police and doctors by scribbling notes on a pad. Through them she blamed her husband for tying her to the tree and claimed that she had gone without food and water for 40 days.  She also said that she had been given an "injection for extreme psychosis" which locked her jaw and prevented her from drinking water, and that she had to be provided nutrition intravenously.  "I am a victim and survived. But he ran away from here," she told authorities. Police say they have been unable to verify these claims and believe it is unlikely that someone would survive without food or water for so long.  They have registered a case of attempted murder against her husband and have dispatched teams to Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra to investigate the matter further. Her husband is yet to be traced by the police and hasn't made any statements to the media.

 

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