The Pandora Papers: Hiding illicit wealth in the US

Where are people — including dictators, money launderers, billionaires who want to hide taxable assets — hiding their money? In South Dakota:

The documents — more than 11.9 million records from 14 offshore entities, including law and wealth-management firms — illuminate a hidden world that has allowed government leaders, a monarch, billionaires and criminals to shield their assets.

The Post decided to join this project because we felt certain that the breadth of records obtained by the ICIJ would shine a light on aspects of the international financial system that have operated with little or no oversight. A similar but narrower ICIJ investigation, known as the Panama Papers and published in 2016, revealed hidden wealth that ignited protests in several countries, forcing two world leaders from power.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/03/about-pandora-papers-investigation/

Rich people are subverting democracy

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s notorious 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, there are candidates, Democrat and Republican, in elections across the country being supported by hundreds of millions of dark money expenditures, according to OpenSecrets. Voters seldom, if ever, learn who the influence-seeking donors are behind the campaign spending by outside groups being funded by dark money…

Nonprofit “dark money” groups poured more than $1 billion in undisclosed, unlimited contributions into the 2020 elections.

More: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/opinions/rich-people-influence-on-elections-aftergut-wertheimer/index.html.

Funny and fascinating photos

This site could easily suck up hours of your time…

Check out the “2020 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards finalists”: https://www.boredpanda.com/comedy-wildlife-photography-contest-2020-finalist/.

Comedy-Wildlife-Photography-Contest-2020-Finalist
“Talk to the foot, ’cause the ears aren’t listening.”

Also amusing / interesting / fascinating photos: https://www.boredpanda.com/fascinating-rarely-seen-things/.

We Got These Giant Screws In At Work Today For Mounting Solar Panels
Solar panel mounting screw. Zounds!

Florida man explains Florida man

Yes, my native state is famous for producing headlines like these:

• Florida couple “trapped” in unlocked closet for two days

• Boyd Corbin, Once Arrested for Fighting a Drag Queen With a Tiki Torch, Runs for Wilton Manors Mayor

• Florida man arrested for tossing alligator into Wendy’s drive-thru window

Now look, I know crazy happens everywhere. But crazy is to Florida what snow is to Alaska — we get a damn sight more of it than most states.

Details: https://medium.com/thinkpiece-magazine/florida-man-explains-why-florida-is-insane-f466d6bc589.

Miss Shilling’s orifice

How one woman’s engineering skills helped the Allies win WWII.

At 15, she decided engineering was the career for her. The problem was that it was 1924. “The average woman does not possess the same engineering instinct as the average man,” was one opinion recorded in the Daily News at around that time. It belonged to the manager of the Education Research Department at British Westinghouse…

The Battle of Britain was a success despite a serious flaw in the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine used in both the Spitfire and the Hurricane. The Hurricane was still the workhorse fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), thanks in part to production issues with the Spitfire. It was a more than capable machine except for the engine issues it shared with its glamorous sibling… Quite simply, an answer to the stalling problem needed to be found, and quickly…

Years later, Keith Maddock, chief engineer at Hangar 42, an RAF base during the war, went so far as to describe the restrictor as a war-winning modification. “Beatrice Shilling helped us to win World War II⁠—of that there is no doubt,” he told the BBC in 2017. Her war efforts weren’t limited to improvements to the Merlin engine. She also contributed to a range of engines to improve starting in freezing conditions, and operation at higher altitudes.

3,600 words: https://www.damninteresting.com/how-miss-shillings-orifice-helped-win-the-war/.

Walmart Wine

BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS

Walmart customers will soon be able to sample a new discount item–Walmart’s own brand of wine. The world’s largest retail chain is teaming up with Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery of Modesto, California, to produce the spirits at an affordable price, in the $2 – $5 range.

While wine connoisseurs may not be inclined to throw a bottle of Walmart brand wine into their shopping carts, “There is a large market for cheap wine,” said Kathy Micken, professor of marketing at R. Williams University in Bristol, R.I. “The right name is definitely important.”

So, here we go…The TOP 12 suggested names for Walmart Wine…

12) Chateau Traileur Parc

11) White Trashfindel

10) Big Red Gulp

9) Grape Expectations

8) Domaine Wal-Mart “Merde du Pays”

7) NASCARbernet

6) Chef Boyardeaux

5) Peanut Noir

4) Chateau des Moines

3) I Can’t Believe It’s Not Vinegar!

2) World Championship Riesling

And the # 1 suggested name for Walmart Wine…

1) Nasti Spumante

(This is all over the net in slightly different forms. The above is from https://jokeoftheday.wordpress.com/2006/07/30/joke-of-the-day-for-wine-connoiseurs/.)

The Terminator on masks

I didn’t expect to be citing Arnold Schwarzenegger here, but he makes important points about the history of our country and the responsibilities of every citizen. And I love the writing style: blunt and clear. Just a few paragraphs:

Some people are complaining, “Well, my freedom is being kind of disturbed here.” Well, I told them, “Screw your freedom.” You have the freedom to wear no mask. But if you exercise that freedom, you’re a schmuck—because you’re supposed to protect your fellow Americans….

I knew I’d be called a RINO, but that doesn’t bother me. Honestly, rhinos are beautiful, powerful animals, so I take that as a compliment. I anticipated being called a Nazi and a Communist. But I’ve got thick skin stretched over my metal endoskeleton, so I knew I could take it….

I am not an academic, but I can tell you that selfishness and dereliction of duty did not make this country great. The Constitution aimed to “promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.” It’s right there in our founding document. We need to think beyond our selfish interests.

Full link: /https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/schwarzenegger-schmuck-mask-vaccines/619746/. 1,200 words.

More tweets about pets

I especially liked: “The World Health Org. said dogs can’t get Covid. Dogs previously quarantined can be released. To be clear, WHO let the dogs out.“

Another favorite on that page is “Some doggos aren’t built for the obstacle course. Wait for it…” That link is no longer working but the video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAFMCbO43jM.

See them all: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/funniest-tweets-cats-dogs-july-17-23_n_60faebbbe4b0733516263be4