Society, Grateful for the Metaphor, Follows Suit

And, related:

Germany Begins Dismantling Wind Farm for Coal
EU Observer | 29 Aug 2023, 10:43 | Wester van Gaal

German energy giant RWE has begun dismantling a wind farm to make way for a further expansion of an open-pit lignite coal mine in the western region of North Rhine Westphalia.

One wind turbine has already been dismantled, with a further seven scheduled for removal to excavate an additional 15m to 20m tonnes of so-called ‘brown’ coal, the most polluting energy source.

The demolitions are part of a deal brokered last year between Robert Habeck, the Green Party’s minister for economy and climate action and Mona Neubaur, who is the economy minister for North Rhine Westphalia, to allow the expansion of the mine.

In return, RWE had to agree to phase out coal in 2030, eight years before the previous deadline. “It’s a good day for climate protection,” Habeck said at the time.

Wear the pink slip; get the pink slip

Ad Firm Behind Bud Light’s Dylan Mulvaney Fiasco Fires 13 Staffers After Lavish French Trip: Sources
NY Post | August 23, 2023 | Lisa Fickenscher

The California marketing firm behind Bud Light’s disastrous tie-up with Dylan Mulvaney fired more than a dozen employees – days after top brass boasted about a lavish junket to an award ceremony on the French Riviera, The Post has learned.

San Mateo-based Captiv8 — which The Post exclusively identified as the ad agency behind Anheuser-Busch’s short-lived partnership with the trans influencer — flew executives and guests on a private jet to the annual Cannes-Lions festival in June.

Captiv8 booked the private charter on a boutique French airline called La Compagnie which features 76 lay-flat seats and a “bespoke plane experience,” according to a press release about the trip.

Upon returning from the marketing industry’s Oscars-like event, CEO Krishna Subramanian offered a recap of their trip during a company-wide Zoom meeting on July 3, multiple sources told The Post.

The presentation allegedly included photos of the giddy travelers aboard the luxury jet, as well as the yachts, pool parties and villas they visited in the south of France.

Two days later, however, the “tone-deaf” Subramanian handed out pink slips to 13 workers, about 5% of Captiv8’s more than 200 employees, a Captiv8 employee told The Post.

“They said they were investing in the future of the company and building relationships,” one current worker who survived the purge told The Post, adding, “Maybe they could have saved jobs instead of blowing all of this money” in Cannes.

After the layoffs, Subramanian told remaining staffers on another company-wide Zoom call that the ad agency was “examining budgets” and “evaluating finances,” according to sources.

If (s)he invites you to a company “retreat” at Disneyworld, politely decline — while the ad agency does the same.

Don’t You Fret, Scientists: Women Will Always Possess Ways of Spreading the Wealth Around

… and since when are there only two sexes, not 57? When it’s convenient?

AI Will Destroy More Female Jobs Than Male, Study Finds
EU Observer | 29 Aug 2023 | Paula Soler

“Any form of technological transition would have a strongly gendered effect, with a badly managed process disproportionately harming women,” reads the report.

About four percent of global female employment is subject to potential automation through generative AI technologies, compared to only 1.4 percent of male employment.

Tell that to restaurant waitresses. Airline stewardesses. Store clerks. Babysitters. Nurses. Midwives. No, don’t fret for their futures. Be sure to include them in the projected statistics about AI taking over jobs.

I don’t see anyone going to a “Computers” restaurant across the street from a Hooters.

And for female business staff, corporate executives, cops, and airline pilots — well, they don’t have to worry if they’re just as qualified as any old male, right? So that’s a wash, as far as AI goes.

A good female engineer will always have a good job.

And a poorly-performing female VP “AI Czar” (who’s trying to pander to women’s votes with sexist new AI regulations) will always lose one.

The bars seem to be of some concern. There don’t seem to be enough of them.

This is the millionth time I’ve seen a headline of this type over the past years, and it is only the beginning of a brand-new campaign season. Get ready to go numb seeing it again, as in every two years.

Fill in the blanks:

[Musician]_________________ tells GOP candidate To Quit Using [Musician]_____________ ‘s Music

How awfully brave and politically edgy! Never been done before! That’s a line that you’re the first to cross, musician!

Most times, it’s from an artist who has sold the rights to play the song to a conglomerate; rights that the politician has then purchased. How the musician feels about that just don’t enter into it. But you will see more of these headlines. Like clockwork.

If I were a Republican candidate, I’d take a closer look at who’s selecting my pre-speech music. Because the media just dotes on generating these headlines.

Got It

What Seems Suspicious Is That It Was Not Until Twenty Days Later (Aug. 28, 2023) That the Electric Company Finally Released This Claim.

After All the Finger-Pointing, Threats of Lawsuits and Legislative and Legal Action, and Conspiracy Theories, Had Already Been Arrayed Against Them.

Wouldn’t you have thought they’d announce this right away?

Hawaiian Electric Says Power Lines Were Shut Off Hours Before Wildfire
Reuters/MSN / 8/28/23

(Reuters) – Hawaiian Electric’s shares jumped more than 40% on Monday after the utility said its power lines in West Maui had been shut down for more than six hours before wildfires started in the area during the afternoon.

… [Blame starts on the electric company from all the news and all the quotes that the press can find — it’s clearly the fault of that darned company. Everyone sees it. Their share price drops. “The electric company may even face bankruptcy!” Then someone pulls this *exoneration* out of their back pocket — and those who bought shares on the downturn will now profit by at least 40% — and climbing, once the Federal Government invests heavily in infrastructure improvements because it’s so darned urgent. “We’ve seen the disaster! Think of the losses! We must invest to fix it!” Billions, or trillions, are poured into the company by the federal government. The stock soars. Can’t be the first time this has happened. — Oppo]

Hawaiian Electric said on Monday that a morning fire on Aug. 8 caused by power lines that fell in high winds was subsequently reported “100% contained” and later declared “extinguished” by the Maui County Fire Department.

The utility said another afternoon fire started in the same area more than six hours after all of its power lines in West Maui had been de-energized, which could not be contained by the fire department and spread out of control toward Lahaina.

Three web comments I liked:

“Someone needs to check the clocks in homes that never got burned to see if they reflected a power outage.”

(i.e., six hours before the fires.)

“So the cops had to block the exit roads because of downed live power lines, and the power company said the lines had already been shut off?”

“They’re in a bit of a quandary … if they blame the fire on the electric company, it’s a man-caused fire and not a natural disaster.

“If it’s not a natural disaster, they can’t subvert the native Hawaiian sacred land laws (Lahaina is designated sacred ground), the historic district laws and rezoning laws. At least that is what I understand about the executive order that was written in July, which apparently stated that after a natural disaster, all those zoning laws were null and void.

“Interesting timing though.”

I’m Not Saying Who

Biden Tells DC School Kids on First Day It’s Hard To Return After ‘Not Doing Any Work’
NY Post | 08/28/2023 | NY Post

WASHINGTON — President Biden told middle school students on their first day of classes Monday that he understands it’s hard to return after “not doing any work” — after he received Republican criticism for spending most of the past month on vacation.

“I tell you what, the hardest thing, I think, is when you come back — what’s the matter, baby? You look at me like, ‘I don’t want to be in this math class’?” Biden told students at Eliot-Hine Middle School on Capitol Hill, breaking off to call out one young scholar. . . .

. . . whom he called “baby.” Kind of soft-peddled by the press, if you ask me.