Hunger and fear are the only realities in dog life: an empty stomach makes a fierce dog.
— excerpt, personal journal of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott
This short film by Aaron Dunleavy was inspired by his childhood in Blackburn, Lancashire UK. The script was improvised and cast using locals.
All districts in Lancashire voted Leave during last week’s Brexit referendum, with 65% of Blackburn voters supporting Leave.
Worth noting an article in Lancashire Telegraph about an Aldi’s store under construction. Aldi’s is a German-owned grocery store chain; have to wonder if construction will be completed.
Brexit botch bits
- @shockproofbeats on Brexit’s impact on Northern Ireland (Storify) — It’s messy now and promises to be even uglier.
- Downside for China (and other foreign investors): Real estate purchases may be put on hold (SCMP) — Some deals in the works may be halted until the pound is more stable. On the other hand, Britain may step in and put the brakes on sales; too easy for overseas entities with big money to buy up property while pound is depressed.
- Upside for China (and other banking centers): Business could pick up in Hong Kong (SCMP) — London is the second largest trading center of yuan next to Hong Kong; some of the business could shift back to Hong Kong, especially if HSBC bank choose to relocate its headquarters to HK from London.
- No change in position on Brexit referendum since last Friday according to PM David Cameron (Independent-UK) — Though Cameron is now going to leave in September. He continued to push triggering of the Article 50 to his successor while taking pot shots at Labor Party over its purge this weekend. Not certain most Americans will notice just how Cameron has managed to shift the blame to both MPs and the people for a referendum he proposed, or how he has turned execution of Article 50 into a poisoned chalice. Lord Chancellor Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove, Leave campaign proponent, was present at today’s session in Parliament but said nothing before disappearing. Boris Johnson, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and Leave campaign proponent, was noticably absent. Wankers all three.
SCOTUS Week
Waiting around watching the court for good or ill until this morning is kind of like waiting for Shark Week — hey, it IS Shark Week! What a coincidence!
- Texas’ HB2 ruled unconstitutional (WaPo) — Immensely restrictive state law which anti-abortion proponents claimed protected women struck down; majority justices saw through fallacious arguments. Usual suspects dissented (Robers/Thomas/Alito).
- Domestic abusers can be denied guns based on misdemeanor charges (NPR) — Now if only there was a universal background check law to ensure any gun seller could identify domestic abusers…Case before SCOTUS even more exceptional as Justice Thomas asked questions from the bench.
- Court turns away appeal on Montana state law limiting med marijuana sellers to 3 patients max (Billings Gazette) — What a nuisance for folks like cancer patients who need medical marijuana in a such a rural state.
Miscellaneous trouble
- U.S. studied Aedes aegypti mosquitoes released in American neighborhoods (Atlas Obscura) — Are you kidding me?! The U.S. tested the same mosquitoes which carry Zika, dengue, and yellow fever by releasing them in residential neighborhoods — AFTER they had nearly been wiped out of the western hemisphere?
- Pin-based security system may end after IRS hacked again (Naked Security) — Looks like the weakest link is the e-File Pin for account access, same as in hacks before April 15th this year. The knowledge-based verification component was easily undermined by determined hackers who could look up information.
Promises to be a busy week ahead. Stay tuned!