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A Gilded Throne

We got new SPACE PICTURES. Also, some art thieves made a mess and got caught, a traffic stop escalates quickly, US election results are in, and a look at an inspiring general strike.

Endeavorance

Nov 8, 2023 — 4 min read

SPACE PICTURES

We got some new and astonishing space pictures, the first we've seen from the ESA's Euclid telescope.

While the James Webb telescope has been getting quite a bit of attention recently, the Euclid telescope has also recently deployed and is starting to launch into operation. Yesterday, we got the first look.

The photos are spectacular, and exemplify the power of this new telescope, which aims to "create the most extensive 3D map of the Universe yet."

So hey, dear reader: take a moment and look at these pictures. Human curiosity shines through any fog as we raise our eyes, thoughts, and dreams to the cosmos. Also, its pretty fuckin' cool looking.

They Stole the Throne

So there's a piece of high art out there that was stolen in 2019. We now have information that the four thieves involved have been charged for the artwork they stole, which was valued at nearly £5 Million.

The artwork in question is entitled, "America", and is a working toilet made of gold.

The toilet as functional. You were allowed to use it for up to 3 minutes after waiting in line, of course.

In 2019, the toilet went missing. It had been stolen from the Blenheim Palace after having been installed opposite the room where Winston Churchill was born. Since it was a working toilet, the pipes spewed water after it was removed, causing water damage and flooding in the aftermath.

I desperately want to see any security footage. And I desperately want to shit in a stolen golden toilet. What a statement.

It Just Kept Getting Worse

Okay my source article here is not very long, but every word just gets more absurd.

A couple of dudes were in a car at a stoplight near Union Station in Washington, DC. The light was green, but they weren't going. A cop went over to pull them over, thinking they were impaired.

Upon the cops approach, the car sped off, ultimately crashing into a barrier that surrounds the US Capitol. It is at this point that I should tell you that the car was also stolen.

The dudes then got out of the car and booked it for the proverbial hills. Eventually, cops caught up with them, and with them found unlicensed handguns, one of which had been modified with a "giggle switch," which essentially converts the gun into a full-auto machine pistol. They tried hiding it in a flowerbed as they ran.

Moral of the story: don't idle at a green light, you absolute dingus.

Election Results

The US had an "off season" election yesterday. Among the stuff being voted on was an Ohio state constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights, Ohio weed legalization, political control of Virginia's statehouse, and a handful of gubernatorial, representative and mayoral races of note.

Here's a super quick rundown of some of the bigger results:

Generally, the Democrats are happy
Ohio voted to enshrine abortion rights by a large margin (about 56.5% to 43.5%)
Ohio also overwhelmingly voted to legalize cannabis (about 57% yes to 43% no)
In Virginia, Democrats took control of the state Senate and House, opposing the Republican Governor who intended to restrict abortion rights
Virginians also voted against the construction of a casino in Richmond, VA
Democrat governor Andy Beshear held his seat in Kentucky, which is seen as one of the most Republican-leaning states in the nation
In Mississippi, Republican governor Tate Reeves held his seat
Philadelphia elected their first female mayor (who is also a Democrat but that is expected)

On This Day…

On this day in 1892, the New Orleans general strike began. Despite attempts to pit people against each other by race, workers of all colors remained united in their demands, ultimately winning in the end.

It began with the Triple Alliance, a unified group of workers spanning the Teamsters, Scalesmen and Packers, and representing a large cohort of Black workers in the city. These unions formed together a labor council called the "Workingmen's Amalgamated Council," which funnily enough was my also nickname in high school. Enough other unions joined in to support the Triple Alliance, calling for a general strike. Eventually, nearly 50 unions struck, accounting for about half of the city's workforce.

The general strike disrupted the flow of energy in the city, ending gas distribution and electricity. Attempts to quell the strike were still made, largely trying to stoke anger against Black workers, blaming the disruption of work specifically on them.

Eventually, employers tried to bring in strike breakers, and the governor called in the state militia. But the strikers were so organized and orderly that the militia had nothing to actually do. The picket lines were quiet and composed, and nobody was being harassed or threatened as media portrayals had been depicting. The militia left the next day after finding there was nothing for them to do.

Eventually, the Board of Trade sat down with union leaders, agreeing to 10-hour workdays and overtime pay, among other changes. The federal and local governments attempted to sue union leaders after the events, given how badly they just got humiliated. After a few years of trying to land charges, they gave up and withdrew the case.