Author: condor

Second Deepest Blue Hole On Record, Now Confirmed: In The Yucatan — Off Coast Of Mexico… New Species Possible?

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Except for only another blue hole in the South China Sea, we are now able to confirm a very deep blue hole off the Yucatan Peninsula, one that is certainly the deepest in the Western Hemisphere.

These deep, still layers of water are unique “time capsules” of sorts, from the time millions of years before humans. This one, named for the classical Mayan phrase for “deep water“, Taam ja’, consists of various layers of both gas-infused waters, and lower layers where there is almost no oxygen whatsoever, in the water — and varying layers of weak and strong salinity. All of which may well mean that sea-faring lifeforms long extinct elsewhere on the planet still reside in these inky blue depths. That is the next step: carefully probing, without disturbing that delicately-layered aqueous environment:

…The mysterious world of blue holes just got a bit more intriguing, thanks to the discovery of what is now considered the world’s second-deepest blue hole. Guided by tips from fishermen, scientists from Colegio de le Frontera Sur explored a tropical estuary off the southeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and found a blue hole. It spans 147,000 square feet across and dips 900 feet down….

While the new blue hole was discovered in 2021, the researchers only recently detailed their findings in a study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. With a circular opening near the surface, just 15 feet below sea level, the steep 80-degree-plus slopes form a large conic structure the scientists say is covered by biofilms, sediments, limestone, and gypsum ledges.

[The inverted conical] walls block tidal flows, creating a unique mixture of water properties within the hole. The study says that “water properties change significantly with temperature and salinity gradients” in the Taam ja’ blue hole and hydrographic profiles show a layered water column with a low-oxygen layer atop a gas-heavy layer atop another layer with virtually no oxygen….

Studying the microbial diversity of these blue holes can offer a glimpse into the type of life surviving in the unique environment….

And possibly, life forms not present anywhere else on this planet. So in many ways, these are time capsules — from the paleolithic times — and perhaps… earlier. A view of things long eclipsed from all other eyes — running over rocks from the basement of time — their words; mine to you. Very cool… onward.

नमस्ते

Elizabeth Stauffer Thinks THIS(?) Is… In Any Manner… NEWS?!

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So — here’s some actual news: Elizabeth Stauffer seems blissfully unaware that — when one earns $20 million a year, one’s employer may lawfully restrict one’s future employment on competing platforms… for at least three years.

The black letter US case law supports this contractual outcome — in all 50 states, without question.

It ain’t easy… being an overcompensated lying blowhard, apparently, according to Bitsy:

…It’s been widely reported that Carlson’s current contract with Fox runs through 2024. And, according to [Megan] Kelly, he earns $20 million a year.

Does this mean that Fox plans to silence Tucker’s voice for the next year and eight months – the period leading up to arguably the most consequential election in American history? Will the network keep him on the payroll for the remainder of his contract to prevent him from finding another platform? After shelling out $787.5 million to settle the Dominion lawsuit, will Fox spend another $33 million just to muzzle Carlson ahead of the 2024 election? No one knows. All we can do is read the tea leaves….

Me? I am lovin’ it!

Shred one another — I couldn’t be any happier — even if I tried, Bits.

[Tucker literally “f-ed around… and now is… findin’ out.” He’s WHOLLY off the field — until end of 2024 — if Rupert decides that’s worth about $33 million. But, since Rupert hates Tangerine as much as Tucker, Rupert may just decide to let him savage Tangerine — and save himself the added $33 million. A severance clause could include an entirely enforceable covenant that Tucker is, and would be… until 2025, prohibited from saying anything supportive of the Tangerine 2.0 bid, but he’d be free to say anything else he liked, on a competing platform, for example (except disparaging the Fox brands, or Rupert, of course). We will see. Sweet!]

All good fun!

An AR-15 Wielding Gunman In Texas (AGAIN!) Has Killed A Family Of Five In Cold Blood…

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…The father of the family came outside and asked the mass-murderer to stop shooting, as their baby was trying to sleep. He responded by shooting the father in the back of the head. Then he killed the other four, and went on the lam — leaving Cleveland, Texas… and likely armed to the teeth.

He is at large right now. The governor of Texas, at right, waited four days to mention it — and when he did, he labeled the five murder victims “illegals“.

WTAF is that?!

Abbott is a… monster. He seems only casually interested in finding a madman loose in his state possibly with another AR-15, a load of ammo, and/or lots of other weapons — and a blood-soaked record, for being a mass-murderer, on a trip-wire’s notice.

But Abbott wants to… demonize the dead?! [All victims were shot in the head at close range, but at least two of the murder victims were found slumped over babies that have survived — apparently sacrificing their bodies — to shield the babies. Heroic, at that — but Abbott demonizes them?!]

Funny — that the Powerliners are utterly silent on all of that. Also recall that Abbott thinks he is allowed to ban / restrict protected speech by private citizens, in how they publicize facts, or choose to dis-invite certain speakers — in their private clubs, or in how they might refer to… themselves. Ugh. [Hmm. Perhaps every time he appears in public, we the people (and the press!) ought to derisively label him as well (as to irrelevant status) — for example, as that “cripple” governor (who often “gets over” — on his disability). Or… as in: “Today the Gimp / Greg Abbott signed a bill preventing humans from… loving whom they… love.” But no — we are better than that. Better than he himself… is.]

Damn.

In Which Scott Johnson “Says The Darndest Things…” Episode No. 2498

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Here it is perhaps best — to lead with just the words Scott wrote to complain about Mr. Biden’s various initiatives:

…The student-debt forgiveness, which has no plausible basis in law….

Welp… that’s just… HILARIOUS.

There are other examples below, but the laughter here is… there is a specific federal statute, complete with Congressional appropriations, i.e., funding — that authorizes precisely this: student loan debt abatement.

It is literally part of the federal code. It is appropriately called “The HEROES Act.” Passed and signed under Tangerine, to boot. That’s a… federal law, son. [One you never challenged for three long years, even in theory.]

And Scott never complained about it, when the GOP / Tangerine used it in 2020 / early 2021 (and so, he applauded its actual use before). Cheeky.

Just… so precious, that.

The other examples? Here are a few of the gems, from which he quotes a frothy far right nut-job (along with my remarks in blue — chunk by chunk):

“…defiance of the Comstock Act prohibition on sending abortion-inducing substances through the mail (yet for over 50 years, not one GOP operative ever raised this issue — and now the GOP purports to use it to invalidate an FDA approved medicine on market for over 25 years?! Ever heard of the “major questions” doctrine, boys? Congress does not hide elephants in mouseholes!);

…the rewriting of Title IX on the fly to include gender identity and to impose new nationwide rules on schools regarding males in women’s sports (except that the very conservative Justice Gorsuch, a Supreme writing for the (6-3) majority in Bostock just three years ago — expressly held the word “sex” covers exactly that — all versions of what the word “gender” might mean in these contexts… again while Tangerine was in office, too!);

…and the distortion of the rules to make illegal immigrants covered under DACA — itself the product of an edict with no basis in the law about a decade ago (again, except that the Supremes have held that DACA was well within the power of the Executive and Mr. Biden has shored that up, post Tangerine, and that the Supremes held that immigration policy belongs in the Executive branch, absent new laws from Congress — of which there have been none — in about a decade)….”

So — all in all — pretty hilariously… cheeky, Scotty.

Cheers.

Hinderaker Is Spouting Nonsense “No Meat Allowed” Conspiracies (AGAIN!)…

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For the umpteenth time, Hinderaker — nooooo… no “liberal” is going to take away your right to go buy meat.

Or mine.

But I’m sentient enough to know this. To know that Steve Bannon and Sean Hannity… and Tucker Carlson… are moronic loons.

You seem to have lost your ability to discern BS, from reality.

This — again — is utter BS.

[As a footnote of sorts, there is an internet meme that posits and posts various loony things old mostly-whyte guys say, and believe… it is called “sh!t my grandpa says.” John is… sadly, becoming Exhibit A.]

Cheers.

The Cruel Ironies, Even Today, Of Being A “Difficult Woman”… In Memory Of St. Joan D’ Arc.

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On 04.29 of 1429 (yes, I like repeating number sequences), the anniversary of which is tomorrow at 1 pm, Joan entered Orléans with the blessing of the church — to liberate the city. Which is exactly what she proceeded to nearly immediately do.

Yet just 25 months later, the very same church authorities had her condemned as a heretic, and burned at the stake, at Rouen. By then she was still only 19 years old.

So threatening was she to the patriarchy, of that day. Of any day… really. Here’s a bit — of the more mystical version of her legend:

…For years, vague prophecies had been circulating throughout France, of an armored maiden who would rescue the French from the English. Many of these prophecies suggested that the armored maiden would come from the borders of Lorraine (where Domrémy, Joan’s birthplace was located).

As a result — when word reached the besieged citizens of Orléans of Joan’s journey to see the king — expectations (perhaps unrealistically) ran high….

But within the span of two years, having suffered a pair of unrelated military defeats — she was declared persona non gratis. It certainly did not help her that she chose to wear men’s clothing. Here, see the thread on Giannis below — it is… apt. Onward, smiling just the same….

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So, The Settlement Of The Zetia® Antitrust Litigation Cost Merck Substantially MORE Than $580 Million, Net Of Insurance?! Wow.

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The Q1 2023 earnings release indicates that in Q1, Merck had made a provision for at least $573 million, for settling with only “certain” of the Zetia plaintiffs.

By Monday of this week, the company had settled with all of them, as we reported from the Norfolk, Virginia federal court filings. So this number is larger — and the “charge” is likely NET of insurance payments.

So was the figure actually paid out to pharmacies, hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers, the government entity payors and direct purchasers, all-in (before any insurance reimbursements, to Merck or Glenmark)… over a billion? We may never know. But one doesn’t record amounts recovered from insurers into any GAAP appropriate “charge” for settled litigation (see the bottom of page 8, there). Perhaps when the SEC Form 10-Q files, we will learn more — but here is the bit:

…The favorability was partially offset by a $573 million charge in the first quarter of 2023 related to settlements with certain plaintiffs in the Zetia antitrust litigation….

Told ya’ it was gonna’ be boxcar numbers. Heh. Crazy. And that is a massive black eye, for “Fast” Fred Hassan’s theory of pharma product management — just took over a decade, to arrive.

नमस्ते

Giannis Is THE MAN For This Viral Answer To A Snotty Sports Flack… Off Topic — But Actually… Not. It Applies In All Of Life!

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Please, just watch this. I’ve cued it up at the exact moment you need to see. This is a strong lesson for critics of business leaders as well — if the biologic or drug they are working on doesn’t show the benefit one had hoped, at the outset (of course, assuming no intentional deceptions of regulators, or the investing public):

Dayuuuum. He’s 100% right. Out.

नमस्ते

Scott Johnson Omits That TANGERINE Openly Called, In A PR Event, For The US To “Protect” Chinese Factory Jobs…

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Well — this is… adorable (in a truly tragic way). Scott Johnson thinks the fact that Mr. Biden used cue cards about protecting US (NOT CHINESE) factory jobs… is some vast scandal.

That’s because Mr. Trump is being confronted with videotape of his saying in a presser, that he would favor a Chinese company his businesses had long done business with — and he would favor that company, as Preznit — so the Chinese wouldn’t see too many factory jobs lost, in the hidden kingdom.

Funny — Johnson seems unaware that US presidents are advocates for US jobs. That’s the story he ought to mention.

Sheesh. Out.

Small Scheduling Update: Next Major Date In Merck v. Merck Will Be September 25 — A Three Month Delay, After Decades Of Global Litigation…

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We wrote most recently just a week ago — about German Merck’s legal team seeking to push off a trial date, yet again — under the guise of a likely medical-related leave for one of the lawyers on its team. That proposal was seeking a date later into November 2023, for the final pre-trial conference.

That has been ratcheted-back, by the able judge — to October 12, 2023 — while still accommodating what is clearly a fundamental human dignity issue, as to medical leave. Here’s that overnight joint letter — and the order of this morning, below:

…The Court has considered the parties’ positions in the April 26, 2023 joint letter [D.E. 222] and the Court’s own schedule. The parties must submit the Final Pretrial Order (both filed on the docket and 2 courtesy hard copies provided to chambers) on or before September 25, 2023.

The Final Pretrial Conference shall proceed, in person, before the Undersigned on October 12, 2023, at 11:00 a.m..

So Ordered by Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer on 4/27/2023….

So — the metaphorical Bataan Death March… continues. Grin….

नमस्ते