Evening Tea 3.3.21 - Comprehensive Solutioning

Smoke clearing from our attack on Syria, vaccine stocks swell, the IRS should go after every single dodger, China banned mobile phones in schools, the Rhythm Method in app form is birth control now, and our now-masterless Dark Carnival Pokemon got banned from YouTube. It's Wednesday, March 3rd 2021, and this is the Tea.

Our Weekly Discontents 3/1/2021 (Discontents) While the Discontents is a great group on its own, I’ve included this because Kelsey Atherton’s opening is the best summary of the American bombs that fell on Syria. The commentary up until this point has largely been reactionary & team sports based, but the Forever War will hamstring this nation until we can stop things like this. If you’re legitimately interested in how to fix this, Responsible Statecraft talks about exactly how far we need to go to rebuild the State Department & our diplomatic corps. 

Biden says US will have enough vaccine for every adult by the end of May (CNN) I’ll believe it when I see it, but given previous estimates targeted August or even 2022, big things must be happening somewhere.

Warren Backs More Audits for Rich as Part of Wealth Tax Plan (Bloomberg) You’re more likely to be audited if you’re poor for the same reason you’re more likely to be hassled by the police if you’re poor. It’s harder for the poor to fight back, so clearly, audit the absolute snot out of the rich. As those digital panopticon people keep telling us, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about. #FundTheIRS

Rudy Giuliani lost his YouTube privileges for two weeks (TheVerge) In Pokémon, if you get someone else’s Pokémon that’s too high of a level for you, sometimes it just mopes around and doesn’t do anything. Since the disappearance of his orange-tinted trainer, everyone’s favorite Dark Carnival Pokémon, Rudy “World Trade Lube & Oil Change Center” Giuliani has been wandering aimlessly. Smoldering online, he’s earned his 2nd strike in 90 days, this one also including being cited for (checks notes) “promotion of nicotine” which means he can’t upload new Pokémon Snaps of himself for two weeks.

European companies set to dominate psychedelics market (Sifted.EU) It’s hilarious irony that Americans have done the lion’s share of the research, but it’s Eurozone companies that will get the commercial ability to use the stuff. Now to figure out how those preferred share lists work…

The True Costs of Working From Home (CityLab) & Sick Days Don’t Look So Good Now That You Can Work From Home (Businessweek) I had to be in so much pain I couldn’t look at my phone to miss meetings when I was sick. We spend more on the internets, decoration office supplies, and when we don’t have an office, we go find more room. Given these things, I’m not entirely sure why people think corporations are going to rush us back into the office.

China bans children from using mobile phones at school (BBC) & Male topless models serving in Chinese hotpot restaurant turn shop into viral hit (Inkstone) These stories aren’t related obviously, but where’s the fun in that?

South China Sea: Vietnam builds up defenses against Beijing in Spratly Islands (SCMP) Good. The rest of the Asia-Pacific region united against China just might cause some better behavior. We can’t fight every battle everywhere.

Dispo Boys Just Want To Take Film Photos On Their iPhones With You (Mel Magazine) & On Clubhouse, Saudis are speaking freely. For Now (RestOfWorld) I’m on neither platform, but this is a good reminder that these can be used for things that impact expression, not policy, and things that allow people to avoid policy, expressing themselves.

Apps Are Birth Control Now (Gizmodo) I’m gonna defer to the reproductive health specialists on this one, but an app that functions as the digital equivalent of the Rhythm method is not prescription birth control in my civilian/dude opinion.

 Song of the Tea: Firstly, Picard Brothers is a sweet name for a music act. Secondly, The Promise is a sunny, energetic song you just might need in your warming hump day.

“Tell me everything in life is fair. Just want you to always be there.”

Yours,